Avatar Wan High: Year of Peace
by KelseyAlicia
Summary: Love has found a way through the scars of loss, war, and hopelessness, now it's time to learn how to deal with the lesser, but no less important, things the war caused.
1. Chapter 1

New Beginnings

It was turning out to be quite the memorable summer vacation following the occurrences that took place at the Peace Rally during which time the Lost Age had abruptly and unexpectedly been restored to the world. The moment the Lost Age returned to the world? So had the lost arts of bending along with the Avatar.

For Republic City the end result was well quite amazing, to say the least. There were virtually no words to truly express what had taken place following that Peace Rally.

Following that night nothing in Republic City was ever gonna the same again nor the whole world for that matter. The elements both nature and other components had mixed and amalgamated with the 21st century to make a somewhat unprecedented brand-new Republic City. Which essentially left everyone to rediscovering their genuine cultural heritage, bending and the Avatar been reborn.

Which meant now the constructions of all the buildings were a merging of the ancient past and the 21st century, animals were gradually reverting to their hybrid selves, fashion was also going into a style called "Neo-retro" again blending traditional with the old. But that in truth was how fashion worked in general so that wasn't surprising in and of itself.

People were now enthusiastically embracing their cultural heritage once more and that went all the way down to their bending and fighting style roots. Also, there was trying to mix the modern day tech with the ways of old. So this whole summer had been quite amusing to watch everyone in the city for several reasons. Out with the new and in with the old. Just to reverse the old saying.

Therefore it was a tremendous amalgamation along with adjustment of seeking to find a balance between the two worlds and within the people themselves who were busy rediscovering who they truly were.

Luckily they had Team Avatar the ones who'd saved the city to support the city. Or at least they were still expecting six teenagers to do that job. Given the fact one member who happened to be the reborn Avatar. However, this time around it won't just be the Avatar's duty to keep balance and peace in the world. It'd be the whole team working together and helping to keep the City and World in balance and order.

Although they and the rest of the city would have to rediscover how to correctly bend all on their own again. Given even if the had documents furthermore books that hadn't been lost in the eternities since the Lost Age last lived. There was still no one who had a master of any of the bending arts since before the Lost Age had disappeared again eons ago.

Therefore learning to remaster the 4 bending arts plus still overcome the remains of the Ten Deadly Plagues as well as other predicaments from the modern day world would be a difficult challenge for Team Avatar. But again no one said protecting the world and keeping safe was an easy job.

Luckily Team Avatar was gonna get a little extra help. Even if they'd have to work a little with their four new people a little bit first. However, with their new members support, they could all make certain they obtained peace and harmony within themselves. Furthermore, the group would guarantee the world with helping to keep the peace and balance in this brand new world.

But let's just start with how that summer was going before the second school year of the one sanctuary of Republic City for the kids. Avatar Wan High.

After the events at the Peace Rally and of course the instigator and biggest threat ever to the world, Ozai aka Death was ultimately sentenced by a judge and jury to death a great deal more had transformed for the better for all members of Team Avatar.

Thanks in part both to the rebirth of the world, new legal system and as well return of the Avatar several people heart's desire had ultimately started to come true. In particularity for that of Team Avatar.

Let's start with how the Avatar Cycle had to go so we begin with Avatar Aang has he had to be known and his recently acquired family. His parents Akanke and Gyasto and his new big sister Arianna.

Aang's whole family dream had come true. Shortly after the events of the peace rally and Akanke being released from the hospital after she'd recovered from her gunshot wound she finally got her dream. The one she'd dreamed her entire life.

She and Gyasto finally located their daughter Arianna on Air Temple Island then they along with their son Aang had departed the temple along with Appa and Momo and relocated to the mainland.

With the help of their friends, they'd found an apartment building that the whole top floor in need of renovation. The building administrator had given it to them for nothing given how Aang and his friends had helped saved the city.

Plus it was the least you could do for the Avatar's family. Consequently, they'd the whole top floor and the rooftop to themselves to do whatever they desired with it. Consequently, they'd been spending the summer splinting their time between renovating the apartment with help from their friends and getting to know each other and becoming a family.

Akanke being a master artist who had surreptitiously watched almost any TV show that dealt flipping houses or designing or along those lines had come up with a comprehensive inventory of what was required to be done in the remodeling of the apartment.

Hence she'd the funds figured out for the reno, what project to work on, how long and how much it would cost, and how each room would be designed. She'd give both the Property Brothers and Chip and Joanna Gaines from Fixer Upper a real run for their money by the time she and her family were done making this place a home, that much was for sure.

It was mid-summer presently and she was currently supervising how the repairing the skylight was going. As that what was on today list of projects to do. To finish getting all the windows done.

"Gyasto, honey? Are you sure you picked up the right kind of glass? That it's storm proof?" she inquired inquisitively as she walked into the living room. They wanted large bay windows with lots of natural light and an open concept in the apartment. The whole apartment was halfway completed at this point from all the help they'd gotten but it still had some ways to go.

"Akanke, darling may I remind you all the glass we've used for the apartment and for the greenhouse was created by our friend and kids' principal Iroh? Since firebenders can create glass by melting sand and molding it?" reminded her husband from his position above her head on the roof. He smiled a sympathetic smile at her seeing her looking so attractive in that short yellow-orange dress and he looked so odd in these old work clothes.

Akanke smiled glowingly at her husband on the roof above her, "Yes, I recall how he was teaching his family that special trick as they all try to relearn and master firebending once more.

You've to admit thanks to our friends use their bending we've saved a lot of money on this renovation. I think in the long run bending gonna solve a lot of problems this modern day world has gotten itself into," she responded back cheerfully.

"I also think going back to the old ways will help with many modern day problems like kids being too glued to their devices and not getting outside enough and other problems with technology, Akanke," he replied back in a soft but happy voice.

"Glad we agree. Does everyone else agree at City Hall, though?" she asked him getting a little off topic.

"Well, my wife, there were numerous talks about how with the two worlds now blended together how some new laws have to be implemented and carried out. Particularity before the new school year."

"Such as what?"

"New kind of registry. Special databases all kinds of things. You'll learn more about it later," was his vague answer.

"Well, I hope it's nothing too alarming or too much an invasion of privacy. Now how is the skylight coming?" she asked getting him back on topic and on schedule.

"Well, these picturesque perfectly shaped pieces of glass will be perfect for finishing the living room with. Just give me a half hour to finish sliding and locking them into place."

"Okay, at least that's one more project done then. Yet what about the kids' projects? It was Arianna's job to finish setting up our meditation garden and Aang to go get fruits and vegetables for us to grow in the greenhouse.

They both were due back over two hours ago. So where are our children?" she asked with a bit of worry in her voice.

"Honestly I don't know. Are you sure its even wise to let those two be alone?" he asked in his own worry voice.

"They are sister and brother and they have to get to know each other, my love. How else are they gonna bond if they don't get to know each other? And the only way to do that is to spend time together." Akanke replied back pointing out a fact.

"Well, it's just the spent their lives apart and never knowing they had a sibling and it's just so awkward one is the Avatar and everything else that's been going on," he countered with a fact of his own.

"I'm sure they can work it out. Give it time. Now let's continue on with our work and hope they get back soon," his wife replied in an optimist tone.

Right now Aang was with his older sister Arianna out shopping with Momo and Appa. Momo and Appa were undergoing their own transformation every day gradually turning back into a true Air Nomad lemur and sky bison.

Although it was a gradual process by mid-summer, Momo was closer resembling a flying lemur and Appa looked less like a dog and more like a flying bison calf. Aang was attempting to tend to the animals whilst his sister was hunting a gardening store for what they needed for their meditation garden. He was getting very impatient with her.

Aang looked at his sister Arianna careful as she kept picking up assorted rocks and murmuring to herself. She was a little taller than him but like him, she was pretty much the spitting image of their mother Akanke other then unlike her or their father her eyes were a light brown.

When they'd first located her on Air Temple Island she'd dressed in traditional Air Nomad clothing. Except once she found out who she was and left the island the first thing she'd done was gone to Xiaoying who was the Vice Principal of Avatar Wan High and also the owner of a boutique/cafe and close friend for a favor.

She'd asked for a total head to toe makeover look. She wanted her Spirit Wind let loose and really wanted a sense of individuality Xiaoying had worked her magic well. Now the only thing to tell you Arianna was Air Nomad was her airbending tattoos and the fact she was an Airbender.

For now going from head to toe she wore long copper-colored hair long cascading rippling waves down her back with a brilliant blood-red feather stuck behind her left ear. She had matching feather earrings.

She wore a mini lavender leather jacket and mini skirt with the air nomad symbol in bright pink in the corner. She'd a bright pink crop top under the jacket with matching fingerless gloves and ankle boots and she had a gold choker with a heliotrope gemstone around her neck.

From what Aang could tell so far about his sister she liked brilliant colors, was upbeat, optimist and like him enjoyed and was as gifted in art as their mother. But he wasn't sure about anything else at the moment.

"So tell me, little brother," she asked him without looking at him. "Should we go with the tawny rocks or the ebony? I mean the colors do matter. You need to think of the colors, the energy, the trees, everything!"

"Aren't you overthinking this a bit, Arianna? I mean I know as Air Nomads we spent a lot of time meditating but you seem extremely picky about all the aspects. It took you over two hours to decide on what kind of sand! And we have to get home soon!" he expressed in an exasperated whine.

"Ari! My name is not "Arianna! It's Ari!" she snapped sharply at him and scowled at her little brother and then with hands on her hip she continued on, "And every details matter, little brother!

I spent hours reading all about Feng Shui and told Mom how to make sure we've good Feng Shui in our home! It's extremely significant to our family as we are just starting out that we've good energy in our home.

Besides your the Avatar! You need all the positive energy you can get. Not to mention there the chakras research I've done that I think we should do as a family together once everything is done.

There so much to do now that the Lost Age has returned!" she shot back at him as if he was a dummy and should know all this.

"You read a lot, Ari?" he asked her in a nervous voice.

"Well," she reddened a bit, "I didn't exactly like the approved reading material back on the Island. Yes, I did read and research a lot of monks and spiritual mambo jumbo because it was what my guardian had me read.

So yeah, I'm well versed in the subjects we are supposed to know. You know spiritual, energy, reincarnation, all that junk.

But to be honest there were other things I did like to read about that I was more fascinated to read and had to hide."

"Like what? You've not told me a lot about yourself yet and we've been together for about eight weeks now!" Aang said in a rude and annoyed tone.

"Okay, I'm a Meta Girl Fan! Happy?" she confessed to her brother looking very red in the face. She was surprised when he smiled.

"Yeah! Dad bought me a tablet to secretly watch it!" happy to find some common ground.

"Well, I wish my guardian had done that for me. The only way I could watch it was I traded this really amazing vase I made on the mainland for a small handheld device I had to hide."

"You make pottery?" he asked in surprise to which she blushed even more crimson.

"Well you're more talented in painting I'm gifted in pottery. I mean I've seen the paintings you've got in your room. I could never do that," she replied modestly.

"What kind of pottery can you do? I'd like to see what you can do!" he asked sincerely

"Maybe another time, Aang. I guess we both have a lot to learn about each other. But at least we both know three things so far," she replied as she was calming down and so was he.

"Let's see we are both fans of Meta, we are both natural Airbending Masters, and both of us are gifted at art. Though I think you're discounting something else, sis."

"Like what?" she asked as she finally put some rocks in the cart as they moved on through the store.

"You are just as gifted with animals as I am. C'mon! Appa and Momo don't just like anyone! Nor do they listen to anyone! Plus I've seen other animals become putty in your hands!"

"Okay, maybe I do have a gift with animals. Got lonely being outcast from the other girls. I tried to fit in but never could be one of them, like you and Mom I was born with Spirit Wind."

"Okay, so let's finish up getting things for the garden and get home before dark. Or Mom and Dad are gonna have our hides!"

"I guess you'd know that better then I do. After all, you got to secretly raised by Dad and spent the last school year with Mom. I wasn't allowed to attend the school."

"But you'll get to attend it this year and you'll finally be able to make friends and be yourself!"

"Yeah, I guess. Aang watch out!" as she air blasted some large falling boxes away from him.

"Wow!" he looked at what almost hit him and at his sister who seemed a little uneasy.

"Are you okay?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah, you saved me! Those boxes were full of fertilizer! They could've crushed me! You saved me!"

"You're welcome," she said nervously and then was unprepared as he hugged her tightly and she pushed him away.

"Ari? Ari what's wrong?" he asked and she looked awkward. "I'm not ready for this Aang. This touchy-feely hugging thing. I mean, I know you're my brother and I know you love me and Mom and Dad love me.

But even using the words and saying "I love you?" It's still honestly hard for me. As much as I've wanted this myself, now that it's a reality, just now this moment of saving you? It's just too much!"

"I guess," he said as he scratched his bald head, "We need to take it a little slower?"

"A little slower, I mean how am I suppose to deal with the fact I'm the big sister to the mighty Avatar?" she did ask them as they were quickly trying to finish up in the store.

"Um, you can not think of me as the Avatar for starters. Just think of me as your little brother. I didn't ask when the world was reborn to become the Spirit of the Planet, sis.

All I've wanted for 13 years was just to have my family. That's all I wanted in my life. My family. I've my family but if it takes a while for us to become a family so be it."

"Aang? I've wanted my parents too. And finding out I'm a big sister made me very happy, truly it did. I just didn't think I've to be a big sister to the most important person in the world."

"I'm just a 13-year-old kid. Nothing more and nothing less. Now can we please finish shopping and get home? Mom and Dad are liking tearing their hair out wondering what's taking us so long."

"Yes, or at least Mom is. Dad got no hair and even so we've got to finish the renovations before school starts in the fall."

Laughing and giggling the new brother and sister with their pets finished shopping and started the long walk home. But not without some airbending misadventures along the way.

In the Southern Water Tribe side of Republic City, the residence next to Katara and Sokka was being moved into as well. And they along with their father were helping. Because the family moving into the house was their father's best friend Bato and his wife and daughter.

Bato's former residence had been massively damaged due to events during the previous school year and so they'd finally able to put a down payment in the beautiful home next to his best friend's home.

The Water Tribe were a strong community and it was since everyone was family to one another. Plus again Bato was Hakoda's best friend and worked alongside him at City Hall.

Therefore it was only natural that Hakoda's family help with the move in. Mainly it was Hakoda, Bato, and Sokka bringing in boxes from the moving truck. While Gran-Gran, Katara, Bato's wife, and daughter Kameko and Nita all helped put things away.

Gran-Gran's husband Pakku's job was to take care of Kameko's polar bear dogs as she was a licensed breeder of the dogs who was sold as both pets and used for guard dogs. So someone had to take care of them during the moving process. She had at any given time 12 to 18 dogs. Hence that was quite a few rambunctious and vigorous dogs to look after.

"I really love this new house! It got a lot more square footage than our old house and a much larger backyard, Kanna! Which will be extremely helpful when it comes to my dogs!

Don't get me wrong, the other house was nice and all, very traditional in many senses, but I love the more open space, the backsplash, an isle in the kitchen, the fact that both our bedroom and Nita's bedroom come with its own bathroom.

It's so light and airy and again so much more space. I can't wait to add my own personal touches here and again have you seen how large the backyard is? It's huge!" Kameko was going on and on about what she was loving about her new home.

Gran-Gran only smiled a wrinkled of a thousand smiles at the young woman's happiness.

Kameko was of average height with a slim build with cerulean blue eyes and the normal dark chocolate-brown hair which she wore in two long pigtails that reached her mid-back. She wore distinctive blue clips with crescent moons along with an ocean blue headband with a crescent moon in the center.

She was dressed in a lightweight two-tone blue sweater, jeans, faux boots and was just again chatting cheerfully as she worked downstairs with Hakoda's mother getting things out of boxes that he and her husband were bringing into the new house.

Sokka being who he was at least directing them to take the boxes to the correct rooms so they could be unpacked without more of a hassle. So at least the chaos was organized chaos.

Upstairs in one of the bedrooms were two 15-year-old Water Tribe girls who were busy setting up one new's bedroom while also discussing the fact both of them were brand new Waterbenders!

"I can't believe it! Of course, you're a Waterbender, Katara! I mean how can you not be? Your birthday is the most spiritual day in our culture! The Winter Solstice! But I certainly didn't expect when bending to return that I'd be a Waterbender too!"

"I don't see why you wouldn't be, Nita! I mean you're just as spiritual as me and your birthday is just as special as mine," Katara pointed out to Nita who looked at her perplexed.

"What do you mean my birthday is special?" she inquired as she plugged in her moon spirit bedside lamp.

"Well, your birthday is February 19th right?"

"Yeah, I was born after you but we are both 15. So what?"

"Well, if we are to go by the Zodiac each of the Zodiac corresponds to elements at different parts of the year. You're born on the first day of the Zodiac of Pisces and when the element of Water lands in our season of winter.

So I think that's why you're a Waterbender. Makes logical sense to me. I mean Aang's big sister's birthday is also a Zodiac elemental birthday too. Which is the first day of the season that the element and zodiac match up? So when fall and air match up she was born September 23 which makes her a Libra by the way."

"But weren't in the Lost Age all Air Nomads naturally Airbenders?"

"Yeah, but who knows in this new world?"

"I guess," laughed Nita and Katara looked at her friend and fellow Waterbender closely.

They're of the same height and build. Nita looked very much like her mother, in fact, her mother as a teenager would best describe her. She also wore her hair the same hairstyle only the last 4 inches of hair was dyed aquamarine and without special hair ties. However, she did wear a headband with the same symbol as Katara's necklace in the center.

Nita dressed in an azure hoodie with a crescent moon, lavender jeans, and dark purple ankle boots. She was a highly attractive girl by Water Tribe standers and like Aang's sister was eager to finally be allowed to attend Avatar Wan High that fall.

For reasons unexplained to Sokka and Katara she hadn't attended last year but was super enthusiastic to attend the second year of the school. She hadn't been able to stop talking about either the waterbending or school. That had been the only thing on her mind all summer.

"So who do you think will teach us to be Waterbending Masters? I mean I know your grandfather got the power too, but your boyfriend is the Avatar as well. But this whole world got to relearn how to bend. And..."

"Nita! Calm down! We will all learn how to bend once again together! Just calm down and don't get too upset! I previously learned the hard way if I get too passionate the end result near a water source won't be pleasant.

Bending and anger don't mix. Trust me, my dad wasn't happy what I did to the plumbing the first week after the Peace Rally and then I got moody because it was that time of the month."

"Oh, what exactly happened?"

"Let's just Sokka now knows he should never pick a fight with a female bender during her time of the month or he'll get more than a cold shower. He'll be frozen to the wall in his room for three hours and all the pipes in the house will be frozen all day too!"

"Oh, great! I can just imagine what your dad and my dad are talking about right now! This is gonna be so embarrassing!"

"Well, Nita at least we're benders, isn't that more fun than living in a world where no bending was going on?"

"Yeah, I always wanted to be a Waterbender. How is Sokka taking it he's not a bender?"

"He keeps going on that he's just the 'meat and boomerang" guy and he's fine he doesn't have to mess with magic. Besides, I think he's still mourning a little for Yue even though he and Suki are doing just fine."

"Yeah, that was very hard for everyone when Yue passed away. But she was so ill. Does he ever talk about what happened when they were together for her final moments?"

"No, I never asked him and I won't. What happened between them is his business alone."

"Well you're two are lucky to have lovers. I don't think I'll ever find someone to catch my fancy!"

"Oh, I'm sure once you get to school and you have more fish to chose from you'll find someone to make you happy. Now let's finish getting your bedroom set up the way you like it."

"Yeah, let's. Um, have you seen my stuffed polar bear dog Kenai? The one my mom sewed for me when I was born? I can't find him anywhere," she asked as she was digging through boxes.

"You mean this old guy?" as she waterbended a tentacle holding the stuffed animal over to Nita who looked a little put off.

"Show off! I can't even do that yet!"

"Oh come on! You got to be able to do something!" Katara exclaimed and Nita sighed and stood up.

"Well, let's see if I can use Waterbending to cut open the rest of these boxes. I'll need some water though," she admitted.

"I'll get some from your bathroom." Katara then went to the bathroom and filled up a large glass of water.

"Okay, now breath in and out. Focus. Take the water and cut the tape on the rest of the boxes," she carefully instructed her.

Nita took three deep breaths and made a rising motion with her right hand to try and get the water out of the cup. It was extremely hard but with a lot of effort, the water rose out of the cup.

"Good, now just focus, take aim and snap your wrist," Katara pointed and Nita did as she was told and while it wasn't perfect she managed to get half the boxes cut open. The rest of the water just soaked the carpeting of her new bedroom.

"Great, just great!" she sounded so depressed and Katara put her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it was your first try and I didn't do any better. Again the world just relearning to bend. No one learns without failure and no one gets it right the first time."

"Not even your boyfriend?"

"Not even the Avatar!"

The girls laughed at went back to unpacking while overhearing Sokka's shrill and bothersome voice squawking how his organized chaos was now becoming just plain chaos.

While things were a little awkward for Aang's family and joyous in Katara and Sokka's neighborhood Toph was feeling anything but inexperienced or joyous. What she was feeling was rather aggravated, irritated and miserable.

Toph was perhaps one of the richest only child there was and her family perhaps the wealthiest family in the whole world. However what her friends didn't know there was someone else in her family. It was a relative of hers that was close to her in age that she had a rather unsteady relationship with.

Though he would say it was more on her part than his. Which was true but then again it wasn't like he got along with his parents either and neither he or Toph liked the fact that their last name was "Beifong"

The person in question was her cousin Brock who was the son of her Uncle Owen and Aunt Rowena. Both her Uncle and Aunt were actually her parents younger siblings by two years.

Owen was her mother's brother and Rowena her father's sister however when they'd met at some fancy schmancy blue-blooded dinner years ago and Rowena had fallen in love with Owen the same time Lao and Poppy had fallen in love there something of a rule stated.

The rule of the Beifong family was you never changed your name. Ever and if you married into the family even if you're a guy marrying a Beifong woman the family rules were you had to change your family name to match your wife's name. That's how important the family name was.

So, of course, Owen who loved his wife and was already another stuck up rich moneybags like the rest of the Beifongs complied and instead of Rowena taking his name he took her name.

In fact, it had been a double wedding as both Toph and Brock's parents had been wedded on the same day at the same time. Though if they'd been hoping to have children at the same time that bit hadn't worked out.

Brock was also an element zodiac birthday and born two years before Toph. He was born on the first day of the Zodiac symbol of Taurus on April 21st. And unlike Toph, he'd been perfect meaning he didn't have anything wrong with unlike her being born blind.

They'd grown up and raised together in the Beifong Mansion till about 3 years ago when Brock and his parents had left to go abroad to supervise some of the Beifong family businesses and investments for a time period.

And now they'd returned and Toph for one wasn't happy to have them back. She was less happy by the news Brock had become an Earthbender. Since she'd been working her butt off to become the greatest Earthbender ever.

Their first night back at been the two cousins basically using their newfound abilities to kick each other under the table while their parents got caught up. Then Toph had done all she could to avoid her cousin and the rest of her family.

But today her cousin finally caught up to her outside and managed to use some his Earthbending to get her to stop in a desperate attempt to get her to listen to him.

"Toph! Toph comes on will you just stop avoiding me? Please?" he pleaded with her as he ran quickly to catch up with her. He was out of breath by the time he caught up with her.

"Why don't you leave me the hell alone, Brock?! Do you need me to smash you into the ground? Because I can do that! I may be still blind but I can do things with Earthbending you can only dream of!" she snapped as she turned to face him.

Even if Toph had never seen her cousin her new seismic sense could 'see' he was only standing 15 feet away and tell the truth of his words. Brock gazed at his cousin in exasperation.

In reality, he wasn't much taller then she was. Even if he was 15 and she was 13 he was only about 3 and a half inches taller then her. They'd the same skin, hair and body type. His hair was as thick as hers but he'd dyed a streak of brilliant emerald green through it.

Also, like her, he wasn't dressed like an aristocratic snob. Yellow-green t-shirt under a lime green vest, light-green jeans, lace up dark-green boots, with an earth kingdom coin necklace and studded wristbands.

"What?! What Brock?! The perfect Beifong child?! Like I need yet another reminder that your back? That you are the better child? That I'm the defective and unsatisfactory child and your Mr. Perfect?!" she spat hatefully at her cousin.

Based on her words it was clear what Toph's issue with her cousin was. That she was compared to him and he was more favored and liked over her. However, if this is how he felt wasn't known or at least not until now. He took a deep breath and began slowly what he'd been trying to tell Toph all their lives.

"Toph listen to me! Please! I want this old dispute to be put to rest once and for all! I'm not perfect and I hate the fact you and I have been compared by our parents our entire lives!

I for one hated being the one everyone thought was the 'proper' Beifong. I don't care anymore then you do for the expensive, braggart stuck-up an attitude of our parents. Nor did I like how everyone treated you because you are blind.

Why don't you believe me?" he questioned her and then saw her face looked mysterious and noticed she was walking barefoot now for the first time.

"Go on," she said simply with that funny look on her face.

"Look, Toph, I hate it as much as you do all the money, the rules and all of the other stupid shit.

It's just I'm not a fighter or have the courage you do to rebel or act out. That I admire about you. I'm just a lot more passive. I'm more of lover then a fighter is all. I know the truth.

You think I'm just a wimp. No spine a sissy. Whatever you want to call me. Look maybe I do like more intellectual activities such as reading, writing poetry, photography over your kickboxing, skateboarding and being blunt.

But don't think I hate you or pity you. I care about you and just sick and tired of everyone comparing us and making us both feel awful because of it. So can we just let this unnecessary rivalry die? Please?" he begged her.

"You know something, Brock? Every word you just said is 100% the truth. I never would've believed it before. But thanks to my Earthbending I really can tell when someone is lying or not."

"Well, Toph you'll always have me beat at this Earthbending stuff, I can tell you that right now. You'll be a great fighter and I'll always be a wimp. Why I had to get bending I don't know. I'm just not a fighter."

"Hey, cuz, I can help you learn to fight and maybe you'll learn to do something I can't with your bending. But I guess it is time we let this dispute between us die. So it really just our parents doing it, huh?"

"I think we both be happier if neither of us was Beifongs, cuz."

"Don't I wish that every day! So what was it like exploring the world?" she asked as the two of them now walked back towards the house finally friends.

"You mean when my parents weren't doing business? Still monotonous! One shallow socialite event after another. I mean I know you can't see, Toph, but my parents seem to have this thing about having a 1920s vibe about them.

They way they talk, act and dress it's like a modern take on the Roaring 20s. Honestly! I hope this blending of the Lost Age saves both yours and my soul. Because I want to find my own identity."

"Do your parents try to dress you up? Or tell you how to walk or talk?"

"Toph, I know you can't see but I never thought of you as blind."

"So that's a yes, but you were always called the "Perfect child!"

'Toph if you could see what I'm wearing it's not so different from what you're dressed in. Hell! I even dyed part of my hair green as my only act of rebelling."

"Bet your prim and proper rents weren't happy about that! Bet they totally wigged out!" she laughed as she punched him hard in the arm. He winced and glared at her with his green eyes.

"Why did you do that, Toph? What is it with you hitting people?"

"It's how I show affection! Now tell me did the wig out or not?"

"If you mean my mom asked me if I lost my mind and what was going on? Or how I must have been influenced by you? And my father was asking where did he go wrong?"

"Well, at least I helped you grow a little bit of a spine! Now if your gonna get a bit more courage we got a lot more work to do!"

"I'll settle for a little bit of help getting a bit bolder, Toph, but no more hitting me. I mean we are both living together and we can both bend now. So let's not give each other more bruises then necessary."

"Fine. Oh, let's take the servant entrance Our parents are looking for us and I rather not have another "Who better than who" right now."

"You can tell that 300 feet from the door?"

"I can see with Earthbending. C'mon!" as she bent a hole in the ground and they escaped but even though they'd escaped didn't stop the tunnel from echoing the disapprove in their parents' voices.

"I'm really glad we're home, big brother. I missed my proper home but to find the city in this strange state of affairs wasn't what I was expecting."

"Yes dear sister, It was shocking enough on the boat ride home that ship almost run aground because somehow Brock was able to raise up sandbars and rocks from beneath the ways."

"We are more frighten for Toph, she's so tiny and blind. What could be more dangerous than having to be a bender? This whole rebirth in the world is so frightening for all of us dear brother."

"Let's hope that most this delinquent behavior that both our children seemed to have picked up lately will be straightened out now that all four us are together again. We are here to raise proper ladies and gentlemen. Not riffraff."

"Agreed. Let us hope the four of us can do the job that none of us can do alone."

And finally, the last family to drop in was likely the largest and going through the biggest change of all. It was the Fire Nation family that Zuko was part of.

One and all were so very happy that Ozai was finally arrested and now sitting awaiting death. It what they wanted for so long and they all couldn't wait for the day of the execution to watch the light leave his demonic yellow eyes.

Once the court proceeding was done and he was safely behind bars there had been a lot of packing and moving. Iroh and his wife Kimana still had their huge manor and estate and had already built the large guest cottage for Ursa and her family for the day Ozai was incarcerated.

Now that dream had finally come true they'd spent half the summer moving Ursa and the kids in. Though Ursa hadn't come alone. During her time in hiding, she had found her true love Noreen again married him and they'd a young daughter Kiyi who was Zuko and Azula half-sister.

Luckily the guest cottage had more than enough room for everyone and they'd spared no expenses when building in lavishing it with all the conveniences and furnishings it needs. Now they're just moving in personal belongings of the family.

However, it wasn't just Ursa's family moving to Iroh and Kimana's property. There was more family relocating to the property. Kimana's younger sister Nurita and her 15-year-old daughter Ember who was Zuko and Azula's cousin.

Like everyone else family member or a friend she too had an elemental zodiac birthday and it was part of the security code of Iroh and Kimana's estate. Ember was a Leo and her birthday was July 23rd.

And like everyone else she suddenly found herself a firebender and like everyone else she was super excited about that and starting school at Avatar Wan High in the fall. She was very excited about many things and like the other three, she was having her own troubles with her family and bending troubles at the same time.

Right now she was getting help setting up her room in the manor by her adopted cousin Akiko who was Zuko's girlfriend. Akiko's place in the family was unique in several ways.

Akiko's mother Sakiko had been Zuko's mother Ursa's best friend along with Xiaoying who was hers, Zuko and Azula's godmother. The three women had had an agreement between them for years.

The agreement which had been in a legal document stated that Xiaoying would be godmother to both Sakiko and Ursa's children and should anything happen to either Sakiko or Ursa the other would become the mother of the other child.

Akiko's mother had died due to birth complications and her father had walked out on her mother pretty much on their wedding night. Consequently, she was raised as the adopted daughter of Ursa with Zuko's Uncle as her father, his Aunt a second mother and his late cousin a big brother.

She and Zuko been best friends and true loves their whole lives. Although she and Azula hadn't gotten along till recently as Azula had been very much a demon like her abusive father Ozai. It wasn't till the 'real' Azula started coming through and Ozai turned on Azula that Azula been kind or human at all.

Also now that Xiaoying had married her longtime sweetheart Piandao he was now their godfather and their newborn daughter Xiang was consider everyone god cousin. At least that how it was all decided by the three best friends years ago.

But to Ember Akiko had always been just an extra cousin in her mind and they got along fabulous. She also influenced her dressing style to an extent. Ember was dressed in a bright red one-shoulder halter, bare midriff, leather jeans with a red-violet pinstripe with matching red-violet laced up boots.

She had the same jewelry as Akiko meaning gold earrings, armband, bracelets. Not that she wore a fire lily hair comb like she did but she wore fire flower barrettes in hair. Her hair was styled with a hair bun on the top of her head with long pigtails that were looped to be pinned to the side of her head by the barrettes.

"So glad you could come and help us move in here with Uncle Iroh and Aunt Kim, Akiko," Ember said as she put a poster of a phoenix and dragon making a fiery yin-yang symbol.

"Not a problem, my little cousin. Xiaoying and Piandao had to take Xiang to the doctor for a check-up and her booster shots. Hard to believe she's now about three months now. And I more than happy to be with my family. I'm just thrilled to see you again. It's been far too long."

"Yeah, it has. Mom was getting more and more anxious about what Ozai was doing. She was extremely concerned about Aunt Kim. I was anxious about my other cousins. And just everyone! It was so terrible what happened to Lu Ten!"

Sighing and trying to brush away her tears thinking about her brother she pushed them away, "Yes, we all miss Lu Ten. It was such a tragic accident that took him from us."

"Well, he was special too me too, Akiko. I know he was your brother but he and Uncle Iroh are the only male figures in my life. My father Hisoka was one of the brightest professors at the Republic City University and yet he perished from Fire Fever when I was only two.

It's not really fair is it?" she asked with sad golden eyes to Akiko who gave her a hug and understanding smile.

"Hey, at least your dad didn't walk out on your mother. Your dad loved you and your mother. My dad was a huge jerk who didn't give a damn about me or my mom. He just stayed long enough for a 'jolly' and left.

You at least mattered to your father. My dad Zhao wasn't even a dad. More like a stupid sperm donor. That's about all that bastard was. He was merely the seed. At least we've got family who does love and care for us."

"I guess we're both lucky that Uncle Iroh is a father to everyone in this family."

"Yes, he is the best. And we should be appreciative for all the amazing women in this family. Like Ursa, Kimana, Xiaoying and your mom Nurita."

"Well, it wasn't easy for us to get by all these years. Yes, my mom continued the family business of being a botanist and growing rare and hybrid plants. But due to the damages of Ozai and the Ten Plagues, her labs and everything left us bankrupt and living virtually homeless for the last few years.

I'm glad I don't have to live in another rat infest motel again."

"Ozai was death and a monster, Ember. All we have to do is wait for him to get the needle now.

Which is why after everyone is finish getting settled in we are going to have a huge celebration in the dining room.

Now is there anything else you want to talk about?"

"Well, how are things between you and Zuko?"

"Blissful now that we don't have to worry about being assassinated. Why? You dreaming of romance?"

"Well, I'm 15 years old and there no denying I'm an attractive girl and high school usually where you find your first love. But let's just say I'm very selective about who I'm looking for and what I'm looking for."

"Well, if you have any questions regarding affairs of the heart don't feel afraid to ask. Zuko and I are more than happy to share our experience in this matter with you."

"What about Azula?"

"What about her?"

"Well, she's suddenly friendly. How do you get used to that?" she asked what was the weirdest thing.

"You know I still haven't adjusted to it. Truthfully even her friends Mai and Ty Lee haven't."

"Really?"

"Really. What I've learned about "nice" Azula is she's a gifted actress just like Mom. She's a gifted violinist and can play the old kind from the days of the Lost Age. She can sing as beautiful as a phoenix and when it comes to the rediscover of firebending she's a natural."

"I wonder how all of us living here gonna be like."

"Well, I still live with our godmother and her family at the shop which is only 20-minute walk away. They gonna need me to babysit sometimes. But I'm gonna still be around a lot."

"Of course. So what do you think of this?" she said as tried to juggle fire and Akiko's jade green eyes widen as she snatched each and snuffed it out.

"No firebending in the house! That's Daddy's rule. We aren't gonna set the house on fire!"

"OK! Geez! How many rules will I have to live by?"

"As many as I set and your Aunt has for her home, Ember. We should be grateful they are letting us live with them so don't act ungrateful and don't disobey their rules," spoke a voice from the doorway.

The two teens looked up and saw a Fire Nation woman in her 40s looking at them. She had all the classic looks of a Fire Nation beauty. Jet black hair, golden eyes, pale skin, slender figure. Her short hair was in an asymmetrical haircut with a few golden accessories. The normal earrings, bracelets, and necklace. Her outfit was a golden yellow sleeveless V-neck top with red slacks and yellow heels.

"Hello, Akiko. How is my favorite adopted niece doing?"

"Swell. How are things going in your room? Is Aunt Kim done helping you unpack?"

"We got my room set up over an hour ago. I've been helping her make dinner. Iroh has been helping the others out in the cottage. We got a phone call from Xiaoying. She'll be here in half an hour and then we can all have dinner for the first time as a whole family."

"Sounds great!"

"Yes, it does. Um, would you mind leaving the room for a moment, Akiko? I need a few moments alone with my daughter."

"Not a problem, Aunt Nurita. I'm gonna go check in with Zuky and Mom. See you at dinner Ember!" and Akiko left the room.

"Mom? What do you want? What's so important?" asked the young teenage girl as she sat on the edge of her new bed.

"Ember I know we've been through a lot of troubling times recently. I just want to also remind you this whole family been through a lot of troubling times and it will take a long time for everyone to get over all their scars.

Furthermore, I don't want you to stare at all at your cousin Zuko's scar. That one bad enough! So please remember now that we are all living here it's gonna take us a long time for all of us to fully heal and find our place.

So please try and be patient and understanding? And I know you're excited about many things including about being a firebender. But please don't burn the house down!"

"Yes, Mom. I'll do my best to give everyone their space and behave."

"Good," as she kissed her forehead. "Now finish let's finish getting your room set up and eat."

That night the whole family was gathered in the dining room around a very large table with a large feast of all the finest foods the Fire Nation had to offer. Kimana and Nurita had done a lot but some food had been brought by the master of both sewing and chef Xiaoying.

Even though Xiaoying had just had her baby back in May she'd already lost the baby weight despite she'd her baby at age 40. She was really a ravishing woman. She was a vision of great beauty extremely attractive from head to toe. She was a tall woman with an envious figure, full lips, brilliant gold eyes, and well sculpted facial features.

She wore her long raven black hair with a distinctive hairstyle. In place of a topknot, she'd done an elegant small knot on the top of her head. The rest of her lengthy black locks were styled in thick side buns with incredibly long pigtails that had gold clips at the bottom and weaved into the side hair-buns were bright ruby red flowers.

At the moment she was dressed in a stunningly gorgeous cherry-red and sun gold sundress with matching flowers as the pattern on the skirt and some gold jewelry beautifying her.

Iroh's wife Kimana was a quite attractive and ravishing woman with waist-length cascading wavy raven black hair, an eye-catching and kindhearted face with captivating golden eyes. She was a woman of great faith and wisdom.

Kimana had removed her hat but was still dressed in her sleeveless pink top with a dark pink flower, dark purple skirt with matching dark pink flower in the corner with purple sandals and her flower earrings.

Still, they said a Fire Nation prayer and began to eat. Noreen was cutting up Kiyi's food for her as Piandao was trying to get his own daughter Xiang into her high chair and accept her bottle.

Ursa was busying giving advice to Xiaoying about babies. Kimana and Nurita were rapidly getting caught up. Zuko and Akiko were staring romantically at each other and feeding each other bites off each other plates. Ember was talking with Azula who acting actually cordial to her younger cousin and Iroh just smiled contentedly at his family.

Overall new beginnings were happening all over Republic City for everyone and when fall came and the new school year started for Avatar Wan High one could only guess what adventures the second school year would bring and what further changes this strange new world would bring for one and all.

All that was for certain and the moment was this. It was a new beginning for one and all. And there was no other way they like to start that off then with family and friends.

Akiko- Me

Sakiko- Ming-Na Wen- Mulan

Xiaoying- Lucy Liu- Silvermist Tinkerbell movies

Aunt Kimana- Lauren Tom- Multiple voice acting roles

Akanke- Lupita Nyong'o- Nakia- Black Panther

Arianna- Kate Micucci- Webby- DuckTales 2017

Brock- Ben Schwartz- Dewey- DuckTales 2017

Ember- Kimiko Glenn- Lena- DuckTales 2017

Nita- Britt Robertson-Vex- Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures

Nurita- Blake Lively- Adaline from Age of Adaline

Noren- Jeff Bennett- many roles

Kiyi- Kath Soucie many roles

Owen Beifong- Eddie Redmayne- Newt Scamander Fantastic Beast and where to find them

Rowena Beifong- Alison Sudol- Queenie Goldstein- Fantastic Beast and where to find them

Kameko- Carmen Ejogo- Madam President Seraphina Picquery- Fantastic Beast and Where to find them


	2. New School Year

New School Year

Even with the Lost Age merging the 21st-century technology was still very much a part of this reborn environment. One type of example of that was there was every variety of music playing on the radio. Furthermore, that very morning while one of the most magnificent sunrises ascend on the city a tune played on the radio of Republic City that seemed to perfectly fit the spirit everyone was in and what was the message for one and all were feeling.

 _Can't get enough of this everyday love_  
 _Can't get enough of this everyday love_

 _Each morning the sun shines through my window_  
 _Lands on the face of a dream come true_  
 _I shuffle to the kitchen for my coffee_  
 _And catch up on the front page morning news_  
 _Then she walks up behind me and throws her arms around my neck_  
 _Just another normal thing I've come to expect_

 _It's ordinary plain and simple_  
 _Typical, this everyday love_  
 _Same ol', same ol' keeping it new_  
 _(Same ol'/This everyday love)_  
 _Emotional, so familiar_  
 _Nothing about it too peculiar_  
 _Oh, but I can't get enough_  
 _Of this everyday love_

 _Every afternoon I make a phone call_  
 _Listen to the voice that warms my heart_  
 _I drag myself through a few more hours_  
 _Then head on home to try and beat the dark_  
 _Her smile will be right there when I step through that door_  
 _And it will be that way tomorrow, just like every day before_

 _It's ordinary plain and simple_  
 _Typical, this everyday love_  
 _Same ol', same ol' keeping it new_  
 _(Same ol'/This everyday love)_  
 _Emotional, so familiar_  
 _Nothing about it too peculiar_  
 _Oh, but I can't get enough_  
 _Of this everyday love_

 _Wouldn't change one single thing about it_  
 _No, it's run-of-the-mill, still, I can't live without it_

 _It's ordinary plain and simple_  
 _Typical, this everyday love_  
 _Same ol', same ol' keeping it new_  
 _(Same ol'/This everyday love)_  
 _Emotional, so familiar_  
 _Nothing about it too peculiar_  
 _Oh, but I can't get enough_  
 _Of this everyday love_

 _Yeah, of this everyday love_  
 _Can't get enough of this everyday love_  
 _Can't get enough of this everyday love_  
 _Can't get enough of this everyday love_  
 _Can't get enough_

It was a week before school would recommence and Team Avatar had elected to give that last weekend to themselves to get caught up and go on a group date. After all, they'd not seen each other pretty much all summer. Given they'd been assisting their families or close friends that were like family with moving. Furthermore, all the other life-altering developments and transformations going on universally in Republic City.

Consequently, they'd seriously required just one day to kick back and unwind before beginning their second year at Avatar Wan High. Just an opportunity to be themselves and hang out with their friends. Therefore their group date was just a simplistic date of them having a cookout at the park.

Everyone had brought some kind of food along with their musical instruments plus a few kites and Frisbee to play with later. And of course, Aang brought his pets along with him. So the group date had started in the early afternoon and now it was about 4:00. Over the course of the afternoon, it had been a ringing triumph and considerably enjoyable and delicious all around.

Thus following the boys had worn themselves out flying with their kites and the girls with the freebies they're all just ready sit down on the vibrant green lawn and to play a few melodies and just chat till it was time to go home. So as the late summer zephyr blew pleasantly around them and the coppery sun was shining its life-giving radiance down on their bodies they just sat back like typical lazy happy-go-lucky teenagers and chilled out.

"So what number should we play this time? We've really not got to practice all summer for our band. What number should we play?" inquired Aang as he adjusted some things on his keytar. He really had missed playing music with his friends, but helping with all those renovations had come first.

Furthermore, his new sister hadn't even told him if she was proficient in jamming on any musical instruments yet. So it wasn't like he could harmonize with her if she wasn't forthcoming with any information. Though honestly, he was still somewhat frightened to ask his sister to tell him more about herself. Therefore not knowing if she had any musical ability was a little of his own fault not just hers.

"Well, you ever gonna write your own songs or just gonna keep playing other people music is a question I liked answer first, Aang?" inquired Sokka's gorgeous girlfriend Suki as she sampled her lemonade and fiddled with her golden fan.

Suki was a beautiful Earth Kingdom girl descended from the Lost Age island of Kyoshi Island and knew all about the Legendary Warriors of Avatar Kyoshi. Unknown to anyone but her boyfriend Sokka the Spirit of Avatar Kyoshi had visited her one night long ago. Furthermore, that visit from the ghost of an ancient avatar had transformed her life in ways no one could ever predict.

Suki's own personal objective in this new age that the world had been reborn into was to bring back the ways of the Kyoshi Warriors. Since she'd been secretly studying and training in them since she was eight. She wasn't about let the customs and traditions of the Kyoshi Warriors eternally remain extinct and disremembered especially not after Kyoshi herself had come to visit her!

Suki, as it been mentioned, was Sokka's second girlfriend after his first love Yue daughter of the other Water Tribe City Hall member had passed away early this year from cancer. Yue had personally requested Suki to take her place as Sokka's girlfriend and it appeared Sokka and Suki did make as perfect a couple as Yue and Sokka had.

But back to where the gang was in the park at the moment Aang just looked at the young Kyoshi Warrior who was already adamant about her dream to resurrect her culture and warriors ways and gave her a smile before answering. "When we find someone who can write song lyrics and original songs maybe, Suki. Right now we can't find anyone who can write the song or the music."

"Well, hopefully, you will soon, Aang. You're all gifted in music. Sokka you're the best drummer I know," she batted her pretty long eyelashes at her boyfriend who blushed redder than a tomato which he actually had a piece of stuck in his teeth from the salad she'd made for the picnic.

"Thanks, Suki, and I'm so happy that my sister Katara found her voice again," to which Katara blushed at her older brother praise of her which he didn't do often enough.

"Well, I guess we owe thanks in part to Zuko and Akiko's true father for that. If he hadn't forced us to become friends and without their help, I would've ever truly found closure over Mom's death and found my passion for singing or figure skating again," she confessed to what was the honest truth from what happened in the previous year.

"Well, Uncle is very much a miracle worker in many ways. We are so thankful for him and Aunt Kim. She helped us a lot too." Zuko acknowledged the truth about two of the most influential people in his life who'd encouraged him and other so much. They're as close to miracle workers as this world would ever see in his mind.

"Yep, your Aunt Kimmy and her enchanting garden of phenomena sure work its own magic that's for sure Sparky!" laughed Toph loudly regarding the fact Kimana bred hybrid flowers and had helped them through growing plants. Also, her unshakable faith was another factor that had supported them all so much in the past year as well.

"Well, Aunt Kim's name means "butterfly" and Aunt Nurita is named after a flower," Akiko informed them of what the two aunts names meant. This seemed to spark everyone interest a little.

"Really? Their names go together like that? Is that a coincidence?" Sokka wanted to know. He was the ones with the brains in the group and being smart and brainy was what he prides himself on. Seeing as he and Suki were warriors and nod benders. He felt he needed to prove brains trumped bending at times. Especially since bending had returned to the world he really felt he needed to prove that fact.

"It has to with the fact their family for generations have been botanists and worked with plants and also breed butterflies, Sokka. All their family names have something to do with their family line of work," explained Zuko calmly about his aunts family.

"Wow, that's neat. Anyone else knows something cool about someone name? Since names are such a fascinating topic. Like I learned my mother's name "Akanke" means "To meet her is to love her" Aang informed them as he scratched Momo's ear.

Momo had grown even more to look like a flying lemur since that day at the gardening storehouse. Likely by wintertime he and Appa would complete their transformation back to their hybrid animal forms. Though it would reasonable to assume it be an extraordinarily long time before Appa was the size of a full-grown flying sky bison. He was still only approximately the size of a calf during his intermediate transformation at this moment in time.

"Really? What does your new big sister's name mean?" inquired Aang's girlfriend Katara curiously. Aang looked a little abashed when she mentioned his big sister like it was an extraordinarily awkward topic talking about his recently discovered sister. Which others might not understand why.

"Um, "Holy" he mumbled in a barely understandable voice while looking at his feet.

"Why are you mumbling, Aang?"

"Because Katara, Ari and I still aren't connecting well. Summer is almost over and we still really aren't like you and Sokka! Or no offensive to you Zuko but even you and Azula are more of a brother and sister then me and mine!" he declared in exasperation and he looked really bothered by the fact they weren't bonding well.

"Well, Aang, we've known each other our whole lives. So we've had the whole chance to get to know each other, to learn about one another and to the teasing, inside jokes and all that silly stuff," Sokka pointed out sensibly.

Aang didn't seem comfort by the Water Tribe boy words though. Seeing that Zuko took over and asked him his own question. "Yeah, do you want a real hostile relationship like Azula and I've had for years? One that is only now slowly getting better now that she's in therapy and getting the help she's needed for years?" Zuko inquired to the young 13 going on a 14-year-old boy.

"Or you like our relationship which is immature overprotective and annoying older brother and mature, responsible and more grounded sister?" Katara wanted to know as she tried to comfort the love of her life. She was the only one who could calm the mighty Avatar or turn his frown upside down but today she didn't have that ability to charm him.

"I'd just settle if I and Ari could just have some type of relationship of any kind. Or my family could act like a family. But between the renovations and Dad being super busy with the rest of the city bigwigs it's not like there been a lot of time for bonding," he confessed dejectedly. He still looked rather despondent that his family wasn't close yet as this was his only dream and it wasn't turning out the way he'd dreamed it would. Not yet anyhow.

"Well, at least I don't believe your parents will compare you and your sister. That they're not gonna have favorites or make you compete for attention or have a favorite child, Twinkle Toes. Consider yourself lucky on that front!

I and my cousin Brock had to deal with that our whole lives! Ugh, it's bad enough to have to compete with a sibling when that's going down. But to be compared to my cousin and all that bullshit? Ugh!" Toph growled in anger and the earth rumbled a little in response to her bottle up anger.

"No offense intended Toph but your parents or Aunt and Uncle just seem clueless and snobs," Suki pointed out a well-known fact to try and soothe her so they did not have an earthquake.

"Way to point the obvious! All those boneheaded snobs ever care about is looking prissy and perfect blue-blood and don't care about their kids just being themselves! I and Brock are finally making amends with each other after a lifetime of animosity. However, our stupid parents just can't stop meddling!" as she strummed her guitar anger and again the earth quaked in response to the powerful Earthbender's passion.

"Just once I wish they weren't so blind and deaf and saw the truth in front of them! Man, I hate being a Beifong!" she spat on the ground before finally seeming to calm down and so did the earth around them. Which made everyone for a moment take a big sigh of relief though they wondered if this was the calm before the next aftershock given Toph's temper when it came to her family. Once she got ranting it was hard to know when she was done venting.

"May I ask a question and know I'm not gonna be buried six feet under for asking it?" inquired Akiko gingerly towards Toph who nodded begrudgingly to Zuko's hot girlfriend.

"Sure, what's up, Akiko? What do you want to know?" she asked in a sharp and tightly controlled voice.

"Well, not to make you feel left out but all of us our with our significant other, and given your parents and their parents, I've got to ask. Do they have rules about dating or whom you can date?"

"You're asking why I have not shacked up with anyone yet or if I'm restricted?" she looked cross when she asked that. And now everyone feared they just kicked over a hornet's nest and the big one was coming.

"I'm sorry, I should've asked please don't bury me..."

"No, I won't, Akiko, I'm actually just glad someone finally did ask. Because yeah being a Beifong you do have rules of who you can as they use the old fashion word can 'court' and the rules are stupid as the rest." Toph seemed to really just need an outlet for her anger and it looked like she wants to vent about this subject for a long time. Look like tonight was the night to vent and get this one out.

"How so?" the group asked delicately and Toph blew her black hair out of her face in irritation. Still looking irritated and wanting to hit something she just settled for crossing her arms and legs and began to launch into what was her family ridiculous rules on dating and courtship.

"I and Brock aren't actually permitted to date or even think of anything to do with love till we are sixteen years of age. Then we're only permitted to date our 'own kind' Translation? Rich shallow bitches and arrogant moneybag asses.

All dates must be chaperoned and then you can only do approved dating activities that have been approved two weeks ahead of time by your parents. You can't do anything physical at all with your date. Not even hold their hand or hug them till your a legal adult. And absolutely NO kissing!

And of course everyone has to save themselves for their wedding night and no one ever gets a divorce and everyone must keep the name of Beifong." she finished explaining how dating and romance worked in the Beifong family and well Sokka just spit it out.

"What century is your family living in? Because it sure ain't the 21st or even with the Lost Age merging with the 21st that doesn't sound at all fair in any which way and not even fair to how love works!"

"That sounds worst the being a Fire Nation Traditionalist and all but arranged marriages! Sick! Like mail order bride or groom if you can't even really choose who you want to date! Ugh!" spat Akiko in revulsion at the way Toph's family handled their love lives.

"Yeah, because that style of thinking and arranged marriages didn't do our mothers any favors. It's what led to Akiko's mother's death and her becoming an orphan. As for me? Well, you know what happened to my family. I don't need to remind any of you of that!" Zuko said in a disgusted voice as he looked sick as did Akiko.

"Now you don't," they all agreed as no one would forget Ozai ever. How could anyone forget a monster and death on this earth? Especially after the night he almost killed them all? No one was ever gonna forget Ozai and all were looking forward to the day of his execution.

"So, how about we get off the topic of my horrible family and talk about something a little cheerier?" Toph suggested as she tried to change the subject and bit into a large apple at the same time.

"Well, I'll admit this year is gonna be hard on all of us for any reason. Me in particular again as I'm suddenly the reborn Avatar. And the whole city expecting us to protect the city and keep the balance."

"You won't have to do that alone, Aang. We all agreed we started as a team will do this as a team." Katara reminded him compassionately.

"Besides, if you're all worried about the whole bending or relearning your warrior skills you'll need in aiding the city, aren't you forgetting that's partly why City Hall made some of the changes they did?" reminded Suki of some of the major changes in the City.

"Yeah, I remember. They did establish two separate Academies. One for the Bending Arts and the other for Warrior Training. We're just fortunate they're people who made it their business to study for years all the information of the Lost Arts from the Lost Age," Aang whispered in a grateful tone. If they hadn't they'd been really screwed when the world was reborn.

"Yes, we are so lucky on that part and some of the new benders are just natural masters. Even if it means some of the teachers at the school have to do their duties teaching at the high school _and also teaching at these two Academies,"_ Katara was playing with some water in her hands.

She was very eager to master waterbending and been practicing any chance she got. Just like they all had been practicing any chance they got. Even though till they had proper teachers and lessons learning on your own was a lot of giving and take and more failures than success. But where there a will there is a way. And they're all determined to master their gifts they'd been granted by the reborn world.

"Well we know, sis, it won't be easy for Gramp-Gramp, but right now he's the closest thing the City's got to a Waterbending Master," Sokka spoke up as he finally fished out what been stuck between his teeth.

"Don't forget the other teachers from the school staff, Sokka, we've Bumi, Jeong-Jeong, and our godfather Piandao promise to train others in the way of the sword," Akiko acknowledge wanting to give credit where it was due to everyone it was owed too.

"But who gonna be an Airbending Teacher?" Sokka countered as she had failed to list an Airbending master.

"Well, they are still being stubborn about changing their ways or fully joining the rest of the city.

Mom told me it was hard enough to get them to consent to allow all the Air Nomad kids to be allowed to attend the high school. On the other hand, they are still insisting they'll teach all the kids airbending on the island and not mixing them with other kids," Aang reported gloomily about his own people.

"Are they still trying to spite your family for leaving the island and breaking tradition?" Katara demanded as she put her hand on his shoulder. It was common knowledge within the group the Air Nomads weren't happy with Aang's family for breaking tradition or leaving the community. Especially given Aang was the Avatar and they seemed highly disappointed in him.

"I'll say it again guys. I don't think the rest of the Air Nomads were too elated that I'm the Avatar, or any of my other family secrets once they came out in the open," he confessed to his friends and girlfriend. Katara waterbended his tears from his face again doing her best to cheer him up.

"That's just awful they want to spite your family just for wanting to be a family," she told her love with her arms crossed.

"Some people are just hardcore to their culture and customs, Katara or just refuse to change. You can take a horse to water but you can't make him drink from it, you know that, very well," Akiko benevolently reminded her as she sighed thinking about her own people being that way sometimes.

"I know, but shouldn't people embrace the good and bad? Or that things always change? I mean Dad was telling us last night when Bato and his family were over for dinner how the city wants to use bending to provide clean energy to the city."

"Yeah, they want benders to use their bending to provide all forms of energy the 4 elements can provide at different power plants, then the energy from those plants will go to relay stations to one huge battery and then transfer all the power to the whole city.

Thus clean energy and power to the whole city. They're also thinking of using bending in other areas it could be used for. Like construction, making goods, farming. You know anything that bending could be useful for they want people who are benders to help with."

"That's all peachy, Sokka. What wasn't peachy was when everyone had to report downtown to be part of the new Republic City Register. That was a pain in the ass," Zuko recalled in agitation about what happened only two weeks ago for all of them.

"Come on, Zuko it wasn't that bad." Sokka tried to downplay what had transpired but Zuko snorted flames at his friend's desire to downplay it.

"Oh, you don't think to be poked, prodded and having every detail of your life being invaded wasn't so bad? That now every single person in the city DNA, dental, fingerprints are on file?

Along with all their personal information, plus if they can bend or not. What weapons and fighting style they own and can do? You don't think that wasn't a pain in the ass?" the handsome but scarred Fire Nation boy challenged the handsome Water Tribe boy who could see he was in hot water.

"Okay, it was, no joking about that. But what do you expect? It's a way to have order over chaos," he responded as if that was the obvious answer to the city new laws.

"Well, we still don't have to like it! So do tell us what has been going in your families over the summer? Or do you wish us to go first?" Akiko asked as Zuko started to brush her waist length jet black hair. She had a look of pure bliss on her face as he did this.

"Well let's do it in the reverse order of the Avatar Cycle so do tell us what's been going on in your guys family?" Aang asked the Fire Nation couple.

"Well, it's beyond elation to have our mother back in our lives and to know she's finally married to her one true love," Zuko began with a huge smile on his face thinking about his mother Ursa and stepfather Noreen.

"But even though that was surprising I don't think anyone was foreseeing 5-year-old Kiyi. She's sweet, adorable and full of charm. I know both Mom and Xiaoying are genuinely concerned about both Kiyi and Xiang next week when the school year begins," Akiko informed then jerked, "Ow! Zuko! That hurt!"

"Sorry! But you had a knot in your hair and I didn't mean to pull that hard to get it out!"

"Okay, but it still hurt!"

"Sorry, my Fire Lily. But as Akiko was saying both our mother and godmother are anxious about my little sister and our god cousin. Since Kiyi is enrolled in kindergarten and Xiang gonna have to be in daycare."

"You know since both her parents have to be at the school for a majority of the day and then the Warrior Academy has lessons from 4:00 to 7:00 Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays?

Xiaoying is still both Vice Principal as well as the owner of her boutique/cafe and the mentor to people who work under her and Piandao is the Creative Writing Teacher."

"Plus my mom and stepfather just purchased the old abandoned Ember Theater Hall and plan with some help to restore it. They hope once it's renovated to teach a new generation of performers in performing arts." Zuko explained what his mother and stepfather planned to do with their day and what exactly their dreams were.

"And Aunt Kim and Aunt Nurita got to run the Jasmine Dragon while still working in their spare time in the greenhouses in the backyard of the manor," finished Akiko explaining what the adults in their family dynamics were going to be doing.

"So what about your other sister? And this new cousin of yours?" the gang asked about as they'd been fully informed of everyone in the picture now.

"Azula has therapy sessions 3 times a week with both Dr. Ayano and Dr. Sata, like us will be attending bending classes when they are held and doing community service with her friends as part of her therapy." Zuko quickly replied what was going on with his first sister.

"Furthermore we both promised to take care of Ember and help her get on her feet. Sort of mentor her. She's had a particularly hard life being pretty much destitute and devoid of friends for a majority of her life and we promised Aunt Nurita we'd help her get settled." Akiko explained what they'd be doing for cousin Ember.

"I guess you could say me and Brock are in the same boat. But we are mostly sticking together as I'm showing him the ropes at Avatar Wan High and helping him learn to stand up for himself.

And also just learning to be not so much a wimp and be a bit more a rebel. So we have better chances against our parents if we stick together. So that's why we are sticking together."

"Same with us. We both promised our dad's best friend Bato and his wife Kameko we help their daughter Nita get settled and make some friends at Avatar Wan High."

"Well I and Ari are supposed to look out for each other but little help from all of you should make it all around better."

After a few more moments of talking, they finished up their time together and quickly hurried back home to get ready for school and to help their families get ready for school.

Everyone was extremely apprehensive and excited for countless different reasons when the first day of school finally arrived. Parents, teachers, students the whole city was on edge again. Not for the same exact reasons as last year but it was that same kind of tension so thick you break the knife instead of cutting it.

At the magnificent manor home where the principal lived everyone was once more in the dining room of the house taking great pleasure in an enormous breakfast. Xiaoying's family had come over beforehand to join them and brought breakfast from her shop. Xiaoying again was a woman of numerous skills and she was the best culinarian and fashion designer in all of Republic City no doubt in that claim.

"Are you feeling okay, Xiaoying? Is everything alright, my old friend?" Ursa inquired sympathetically to Xiaoying while all the children were occupied by getting their backpacks packed in the living room.

"I'm so worried about my baby, Ursa. She's just so little and even though I did extensive research into this daycare I'm so anxious. She's just never been away from me since the day she was born! And I've never been separated from her and..." she was just going on till Ursa grabbed her best friend arms and got her to look at her and calm down.

"Xiaoying...please calm down. I know exactly what you're going through. Believe me, you'll feel this again when Xiang is old enough to attend school. But you knew having a career and family was gonna be a hard thing to balance, right?" she spoke softly and smoothly one mother to another.

"Correct."

"Look the daycare center is just down the street from both the elementary school and only six blocks away from where Noreen and I'll be all day. I promise I'll go and check on Xiang for you.

We've already promised to pick Xiang up for you and care for her till you get off work, haven't we? I'm a mother of four children. I've 3 blood children and kept the agreement and raised Akiko well.

We're all family and will help each other raise all the children together. That was our agreement was it not?"

"Yes, we are family and friends and will always help one another. Especially with our children." Xiaoying acknowledges in a soft voice as she was slowly calming down and slowly common sense was returning.

"Alright. So don't fret. Now we'll drop off both Kiyi and Xiang were they need to go while my husband and I go to meet the others who've agreed to help us. Then I'll check on her during my lunch break.

Then when the school day ends for Kiyi who gets out earlier then the High School I'll pick her and Xiang and we'll come back here and spend the day here. And then we'll all meet up at the Jasmine Dragon for tonight Back to school/welcome to the family party, okay?"

"Alright. I just need to calm down and relax. Am I acting stupidly?" she questioned her best friend who only smiled knowingly and shook her head.

"No, you're just being a normal new mom. Now let's get Xiang's baby bag packed up, okay?"

"Alright," as the two best friends and moms went to get the baby things ready.

In the far corner, Noreen was helping Kiyi in getting ready for her first day going to school.

"Now remember to mind your manners, Kiyi. And also remember everyone is just as nervous and as awkward as you. So just be yourself and remember to smile."

"I'll try, Daddy. Did you remember to pack Kiyi in my backpack?"

Chuckling he nodded, "Yes, Little Kiyi is in your backpack. Now Mommy and I will only be a little ways away doing grown-up work. And your big brother and sisters will be at the big kids' school today."

"Okay, does their school have a lot of fun toys and a playground too?" she asked excitedly.

"Um, no, Kiyi, we do more work than play. But we can't wait for tonight to hear all about your first day of school. Just be your sweet adorable self and you'll do just fine," Zuko who knelt down to his half-sister height and ruffled her short brown hair.

Just then the sound of boots was heard and looking up they saw Azula. She was smiling but it was a human smile, not her old demonic smile. "Hey, Kiyi I have got a special gift to give you," she was actually talking in the way you'd expect a caring big sister to talk to her little sister. Things indeed had changed in a few short months. Also, therapy certainly seemed to be improving Azula.

"What is it Zuly?" Kiyi asked her sister in the name she always used. Old Azula wouldn't have tolerated anyone getting her name wrong or silly nicknames but the brand-new friendly Azula didn't mind.

Reaching in her pocket she pulled out pulled out a black rock with swirling rings of color that looked like fire. She bent down and placed it Kiyi's right hand and closed her hand over it.

"Now, Kiyi this very important, so listen carefully. This is a magical firestone. Mommy first gave it to Zuko on his first day of kindergarten and then to me. I've held onto it and now it's your turn.

If you need any kind of help or are feeling bad at all just give this stone a rub and everything will get better." Azula told her what Ursa had told both her and Zuko on their first day of kindergarten when she'd given them the firestone.

"Really?" the five-year-old little girl asked her big sister who nodded vigorously.

"Yes, I promise you the power this firestone hold is very much real. It turned both mine and Zuko's luck around on our first day of school and made everything so much better. So hold on tight. Promise you won't lose it."

"I won't Zuly! I won't lose Mommy's special magical rock!"

"Good. Now I've got to go get ready for school. Good luck," as she gave her a hug and kiss.

Ember was watching Zuko and Azula taking care of their little half-sister as Akiko was finishing making sure her hair was restyled correctly.

"Wow, they really care for little Kiyi a lot. Isn't that wonderful? To have brothers and sisters, Akiko?" Ember asked as Akiko finished getting Ember styled correctly.

"Yes, and Azula's not lying about that stone magic, which is a surprise. Azula always lied in the past and now she's not lying anymore. Um turn around let me look at you," she gazed at Ember from head to toe.

"You look perfect. Now, remember Daddy and Xiaoying have done their best to put you in classes with at least one member of our friends. Now all classes hold two grades at once. Avatar Wan High is 8-12. So classes are 8th and 9th graders, 10 and 11th and 11th and 12th. So just be prepared okay. As Zuko and I are 17 we won't be in your classes but we should see you at lunch, okay?"

"Yes, Okay. So is someone giving us a ride?"

"Yes, will be getting a ride. Don't worry about it."

"Well, I don't mean to worry any of you, but we do have a bit of a tight schedule to worry about. So Ursa and Noreen will be in one car with Kiyi and Xiang, Iroh will take Zuko and Azula in his car, Xiaoying and Piandao will take Akiko and Ember and Nurita and I will take my car," Kim said who was going in which vehicle as they really need to get out the door now or they risked being late.

And with that everyone said their final goodbyes and left to go to their own way. The rest of the gang members were all given rides themselves by their respective family members.

Katara and Sokka still rode with their grandparents though they did end up giving Nita a ride too. Toph and Brock rode in the family limo and Aang's family recently acquired a car SUV. Akanke dropped her husband at work before taking the kids and herself to school. She was all smiles as they pulled up and everyone arrived at the same time.

Of course, everyone wanted to introduce the four new people but as it was that had to be held off for now. First came finding their lockers, then getting their class schedules, followed by a whole school assembly to one welcome the students back to the school and two inform them of the new rules.

Like how the school had once again updated security, no weapons and absolutely no bending on school property and they had access to the Republic City Database so they'd know. They spoke how they wanted to continue the work of keeping the peace and all needed to help work to keep the peace and balance of this world and all in this new age rebirth. So there was a lot going on.

Afterward, it was then time for school to start. Aang's classes for this year was he still had art with his mother which he was happy about and of course math with Katara's grandfather. But he also had the Mechanistic for Shop, Professor Zei for History, Guru Pathik for Social Science and Lio for Biology.

Toph was in all the class as Aang except for Shop and Social Science. For those times she had Yangchen for Home EC and Hue for Health Classes.

Katara's classes were Kishi for Drama, Sha-Mo for Social Studies, Oyaji for Computer Science, her grandfather for Math, Bumi for Chemistry, Auntie Wu for English and Jeong-Jeong for Philosophy.

Sokka and Suki like everyone else in the school all had a math class with Sokka's grandpa as he was the sole math teacher, they also had PE with Saura and Rei, Music with "Crazy Nomads" Foreign Languages with Laghima, Creative Writing with Piandao, Art, and Philosophy.

Zuko and Akiko classes were Math, Art, Chemistry, Creativity Writing, Philosophy, P.E.

As for their family members? Arianna and Brock were in the same Drama, Social Studies and Computer Classes as Katara. Nita and Ember wherein the same Math, Art, and Creative Writing Classes as Sokka and Suki.

Their other classes didn't overlap with their family members so that did bother them. But again at least everyone was having lunch at the same time and on that first day, the first-day jitters were made a little less as they ate together.

The four new kids introduce themselves the same way the gang did themselves last school year when they were forced to spend time together and at least the first day of the new school year was looking like it start off better than the previous year.

Elsewhere their family members were having their own problems. City Hall, of course, had its own problems with this new rebirth of the world. Again there was gonna be a lot of money needed to be transferred because of the world changing.

That's why they're hoping to save money and taxpayers dollars if the newly reborn benders could use their bending for making goods, power supply and other things besides as a martial art form.

Which is what they spent half the morning talking about. They were also talking about the new Registry and Database needed to keep track of everyone in the city and if it truly was wise to open these new academies.

Even if in the long run they did need to with the world reborn need to relearn this lost knowledge and it would benefit themselves, the populous and the world in the long run.

Also at the Jasmine Dragon business was booming more than normal which didn't give Kim and Nurita a lot of time to prepare for the huge dinner they're supposed to hold that evening for everyone.

Still Kim did remember to call her husband and Ursa twice to check in on them and finally as the day came to a close the huge family and friends of Team Avatar came and it was a proverbial feast of all the Four Nations celebrating what should a promising year of peace, hope, friendship, family and love.

 _You're the best style_  
 _Lookin' so sharp_  
 _Rockin' hot smile_  
 _You're gonna get far_  
 _Believe it when I say oh yeah yeah_  
 _There's no need to be who you're not_  
 _All that you need is all that you've got_  
 _Just believe in yourself ooh ooh_

 _You should know what you want_  
 _What to get by 'cause_  
 _You should know it's all about you_  
 _It's not about the money you make_  
 _It's not about the little mistakes_  
 _It's not about the people you know_  
 _You just follow your own_  
 _It's not about the clothes that you wear_  
 _It's not about the car, I swear_  
 _It's the little things you say and you do..._  
 _It's all about you_

 _Have fun, you know that you do_  
 _Listen to your heart_  
 _It's always so true_  
 _We believe in you_  
 _Don't stop, reach for the stars_  
 _Tell yourself, tell people who you are_  
 _We believe in you_

 _You should know what you want_  
 _What to get by 'cause_  
 _You should know it's all about you_  
 _It's not about the money you make_  
 _It's not about the little mistakes_  
 _It's not about the people you know_  
 _You just follow your own_  
 _It's not about the clothes that you wear_  
 _It's not about the car, I swear_  
 _It's the little things you say and you do..._  
 _It's all about you_

 _All about you_  
 _These things are spinning around_  
 _We'll pick you up when you're down_  
 _You don't have to worry, my friend_  
 _You should know_  
 _It's all about you_  
 _It's not about the people you know_  
 _It's not about the seats at the show_  
 _It's not about the places you go_

 _You should know what you want_  
 _What to get by 'cause_  
 _You should know it's all about you_  
 _It's not about the money you make_  
 _It's not about the little mistakes_  
 _It's not about the people you know_  
 _You just follow your own_  
 _It's not about the clothes that you wear_  
 _It's not about the car, I swear_  
 _It's the little things you say and you do..._  
 _It's all about you_

Rei- Catherine Tate- Magica De Spell- DuckTales 2017

Saura- Paget Brewster – Della Duck- DuckTales 2017

Kishi- Julie Bowen- Queen Arianna- Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures


	3. New Quest

New Quest

For the first two weeks of September, things hadn't precisely settled into a pleasant routine quite yet, for anyone related to Team Avatar. Not for them or their relatives. Things were still somewhat disorganized moreover everyone was nevertheless not actually bonded just yet in affection and family.

Therefore throughout the third week was when it was conclusively determined they needed to get definitely get a stable routine established for everyone. Furthermore actually start bonding and absolutely come together as genuine family and friends. For if any of them were to be advantageous for their loved ones or the city or even the world, they needed to be some changes made.

Beginning with a stable and structured routine, second become a true family and friends and third then agonizing regarding all the other stuff like bending and warrior skills. They just needed to really prioritizes and get what was undoubtedly significant figured out first before figuring out the rest.

It all started the third Sunday of September at Aang's family finally finished refurbished residence. The Air Nomad family was sitting on some huge feathery burnt ocherous cushions around a low wood table eating a well prepared vegan meal and just trying to communicate like a typical family having supper. Which was still not coming naturally to them.

"So, tell me, how are you two doing in school?" inquired their father as he sipped his soy milk casually.

"I'm still getting a straight A in art, Dad. Mom's a great teacher."

"Or perhaps it's because art just happens to run in the family, Aang. Considering I'm doing admirably in the class as well, little brother.

Though I'm sincerely relishing Drama class quite a lot with Kishi. I've forever adored the performance arts. I've secretly cherished it all. The singing, dancing, acting. I adore attending dramas, musicals, and dance recitals. It's perpetually been a passion of mine," Arianna confessed with a small smile as she sighed in ecstasy at the thought of the theater.

"Really? You like everything and anything to do with that stuff going on at the theater?" inquired Aang inquisitively finally satisfied to know something at last about his sister. Since she'd been so elusive thus far about herself.

"Yes," she replied hesitantly while looking extremely jittery. She was playing tensely with her long copper-colored hair and her light brown eyes were going every direction in the room like a caged animal as if she just confess a sin or something.

"Well, don't be so ashamed of it, sweetheart. I know that the other Air Nomads have frowned upon us for our personal decisions. Furthermore how we desire to live our own lives. However tell me sincerely daughter, what are your genuine beautiful dreams? What is it you yearn to do with your life?" her gorgeous free-spirited mother benevolently asked her.

"You won't laugh?"

"None of us would laugh at you, Arianna. We are family and family cherishes and encourages each other. I just desire my children to pursue whatever their heart's desire is. Furthermore, your father and I will aid you in achieving any dreams or desire you want. So please tell me, Ari. What do you really like and want to do?" her mother asked her sympathetically for a second time with a beaming altruistic smile.

"Yes, I'd like to know too, big sis. Indeed I would like to know about things we could do together in the days to come."

Arianna put down her dish of tofu scramble and eggplant Parmesan before sipping her soy milk. Then she smoothed her brunette hair out of her charming face before speaking about her heart's desire.

"Well, things I like to do and would like to get better at are I'm extraordinarily skilled at making pottery, I'd like to improve on playing the flute furthermore I honestly want to be a genuine dancer.

I want to learn every dance there is to teach! Ballet, the waltz, tango, ballroom even salsa! Everything and anything in between! I want to be able to shine and perform!

I've fantasized of creating a whole art exhibit with my ceramic ware plus performing on a stage with hundreds watching me!

That's what I dream of doing, Mom. Also, I'd like to learn from you, little brother how to ride a scooter and do those awesome tricks of yours. Since I've only been able to stand on the sidelines for that." she finished in an enthusiastic voice as she told her 14 years of heart's desire soon to be 15 as hers and her brother's birthday were that week.

Both Aang and Arianna were looking forward to their birthdays. However, their parents were going to celebrate their first birthday together as a family. Given their birthdays were one right after the other.

As Aang was born on the fall equinox on September 22nd and Arianna was the Zodiac elemental birthday of September 23rd. Consequently, they're just celebrating them together. Their parents said they'd surprise them in some way. Although waiting for that surprise was hard. As a result, their artistic minds were going into overdrive wondering what their party was gonna turn out like.

"Well, I'm positive you can assist each other if you just try. Furthermore, I'm certain if you just communicated to the others you could all find a healthy routine that makes things a little smoother for all of you.

In fact, I was thinking of making some time and taking the opportunity to get to know the other mothers in your collection of friends. Your father already knows most of them from his work at City Hall and is on the school board.

It is most helpful if we all took time to get to know each other and found a more comfortable routine that worked for all you. Both you two and all your friends."

"Yeah, it would Mom. It's just not fair that the entire city still demanding the six of us to preserve peace and balance. Me in particular because I was chosen for some reason to be the Avatar!"

"Well, first things first young man. Your education comes before anything else. Saving the world takes a backseat as does everything else. Your education and grades come first," Gyasto informed his young teenage son who nodded dutifully.

"Yes, Dad," he looked somewhat abashed but his father looked at both him and his daughter in such a fatherly demeanor. It was so unusual after just knowing so long as Gyasto and not knowing he was their father. "I'm telling you both now. I don't care if the rest of the world expects you to drop everything and help them.

You two are still only 15 and 14 years old. You are living at home and in high school and will follow the rules your mother and I lay down. The most significant rule we have is that before you have fun homework and chores must be done.

You're to maintain at least a B average at school or you'll be grounded till your grades come up. Therefore you can't hang out with your friends or date or 'help save the world" unless you complete your other obligations first," Gyasto continued to lay down the rules of the house and their family.

"Yes, finishing school should come first and maintaining our home is your first priority. Furthermore, no staying out past 10:00. No letting your individual interests make you shirking from your personal responsibilities," Akanke paused for a moment and then added another one that no teenager wants to hear but was needed all the same.

"Also I'm so sorry to say this one as I know you don't want to hear it. But you can only see your boyfriend/girlfriend for a date once a week and that will only be on the weekend. I know you haven't found a boyfriend yet, Ari but I'm telling you now for when you do find one.

Therefore Aang you're gonna have to inform Katara you're only allowed to date once a week and that is only on the weekend. Is that understood?" his mother questioned him sternly as she bared down at him with the identical gray eyes he had gotten from her.

Aang looked rather disgruntled regarding that rule although he realized why his mother had it in place. "Yes, Mom. I'll let her know."

"Very well. Well, we will get to more rules in the morning. For now, let's clean up dinner and then go outside for some stargazing and meditation, shall we?"

"Yes, Mom."

Elsewhere everyone else was getting a similar discussion with new house rules and their parents wanting to get together.

"So let me guess your dad put a lockdown on how much you can date?" Katara asked via video chat with Nita on her laptop.

"Yes, and I've not even found someone else. Also, my mom said she wanted to meet the other mom's in this new group of friends. I don't really think it's bad to meet your boyfriend Mom or your friends Zuko and Akiko's families.

Toph's family? Sheesh, that's another story! I mean really what are those brahmins gonna think of my mom? They are old money and my mom spends her days with large shaggy boisterous dogs that are turning back into half polar bear half dog!" Nita replied dramatically as she tried to stream some water around her body.

"Yeah, I don't think that will end well. And Sokka all flustered with the dating thing too because he and Suki are really starting to click. Furthermore, he was looking forward to some sparring matches after warrior classes which start this week."

"What exactly is he learning? Water Tribe or some other style?"

"Dad can teach him at home anything to do with Water Tribe weapons, Nita. He wants to learn the way of the sword from Xiaoying's husband Piandao who already gave him basic lessons last school year."

"Do you think we will learn anything useful at our bending classes?"

"I don't know. All I know is with my grandfather teaching the class he's not gonna be an easy teacher. So be prepared to be worked to death and bring more than your A game. I've previously eavesdropped on some of his ideas for teaching."

"At least he's not a narrow-minded sexist ass anymore. If I remember the history of the Lost Age the North didn't permit females to learn to bend."

"Yeah, I know. But now that the whole world needs to relearn they can't do that. Everyone person who able to bend by law must take bending classes and learn to control their gift."

"What about specialized bending? Every bending art had a specialized talent. That was well known as well."

"We will see what comes. Anyway got to get off now. Gran-Gran will be up here in a minute to check on me and I need to be getting ready for bed. See you at school tomorrow."

"Okay, Nita signing off too."

At the Beifong Mansion, neither Toph or Brock wanted to hear more rules or how their parents didn't really want to mingle with the bourgeoises even if they'd been invited too.

Hence they'd both gone outside in the crisp night air with a few of the servants who were friendly and faithful to them. Already watching Brock finding a rather serviceable skill for his Earthbending skills.

"I hope the landscapers appreciate this. I never imagined I'd be using Earthbending to do landscaping," he confessed as was using his bending to fix up a disregarded section of the enormous garden on the property.

"No, I didn't think anyone would think they'd have to use their mad fighting skills for such menial work because the caretakers went on strike, cuz. Could you use some help?"

"Well, let's see this is supposed be an orbicular section in the garden with an ornate design in the stones, a marble water fountain of the family's flying boar surrounded by panda lilies and two diminutive trees and two granite benches," he informed her of how it was supposed to look and what the elements were made of so she knew they could bend them.

"Well, you handle the decorative art pieces since you have the eye from your photography and I'll dig up the soil for the flowerbed then bend the flowers from their pots with them still in their soil and same with the trees?

I mean as long as there still some earth attached I can move it. My seismic sense will tell me where they go. So let's do this!"

"Okay. If you need help I'm sure Gem, Orem, Rosy or Dornick will tell you. Could you at least bring the landscaping things closer to us? So we don't have to bend so far to get them?"

So the two cousins did use their Earthbending what would've taken others a week and a half to finished they'd done in half an hour.

"Now that was some impressive collaboration on both your parts. Moreover, it's delightful to see Earthbending can be used for an artistic purpose. Now, what are you to gonna do with formal lessons or the other rules your families have for you?" Gem wanted to know when she questioned the two young adolescent benders who both looked exhausted and not desiring to answer that question.

"Have I ever cared about rules?"

"No, Toph. But there must be some order over chaos. Can't you agree with that?"

"And isn't getting a diploma important to either of you?" Rosy asked both of them.

"Well, I don't know about you cuz but I'd like to finish my education so I can finally leave this place and go anywhere in the world."

"Ditto. Fine. We'll play by some of the rules, maybe. But I want something crystal clear! If I ever find a boyfriend I sure ain't playing by the old-fashion and discriminatory rules of those pinheads!" as she pounded her fist together.

"Me either, cuz. If I fall in love I don't care who she is or what class! I'll be with whoever steals my heart!" Brock snarled in agreement. No one was gonna tell him who he could and couldn't date!

While there was most certainly gonna be a war of rebellion and Independence at the Beifongs back at Iroh's manor the family was caught up in their own affairs.

"So you see Mom it would be a very good idea if you did spend some time with the other moms. I mean you spent years in hiding. Don't you think going to have a girls day would do you some good?" Zuko was pleading with his mother Ursa as she was brushing her luxurious long dark coffee-colored hair.

"It's not that I wouldn't love to meet your precious friends' mothers, Zuko. It's just a little nerve-wracking is all. It's hard to socialize after all I was put through and having to spend so much time hiding."

"That why you need to get out there and meet new people Mom! Even my therapist says I need to get out there and meet new people. Which is partly why I'm doing all this community service. Even though I do have Mai and Ty Lee helping me," Azula came in fixing the red lilac barrettes in her own long coffee-colored hair.

"Where are you going young lady?" her mother asked her sternly as it was obvious Azula was on her way out given she was made up.

Old Demon Azula had worn her dark hair was in an elegant knot with two long bangs hanging on the side.

Her old outfit had been blue lightning bolt earring that matches her choker. With a blood red crop top with a blue flame in the center. Her midriff showing and her short mini skirt matched her crop top and she'd worn golden yellow knee-high boots.

When "Nice" Azula started to emerge she'd changed her appearance and then started to dress differently.

She started to wear her chocolate-brown hair long and loose with the red lilac barrettes in her hair with matching earrings and she wore that as her personal scent likewise. Around her neck was a golden locket with a blood-red gemstone in the center which held a photo of Ursa inside.

Her brand-new outfit now was off the shoulder carmine top, midriff showing with a short ebony black skirt and black leather ankle boots with cerise flame rhinestones on them.

Tonight, however, Azula was clearly made up. She was dressed in a short electric crimson dress wearing her locket with her hair in undulating ripples and her makeup meticulous done.

"Azula? Answer me. Where are you going? It's Sunday and you've school tomorrow and yet you dressed to the nines? Who are you meeting? And don't kid me. You're meeting a boy. So what's going on?" Ursa looked at her daughter sternly.

Azula who had kick ass firebending powers and once was a sociopath caved at her mother and murmured: "I was going on a blind date. It was Ty Lee's idea. She told me she helped me improve my image and get boys to fancy me.

Consequently, she signed me up for a dating website two months ago. I was supposed to go met the first match tonight at Xiaoying's cafe and I thought I dress to impress," she finished mumbling while looking at the floor of the cottage where they lived on her uncle's property.

"You let your friend without my knowledge or consent sign you up for an internet dating website? Just to meet random strangers?" her mother looked at her incredulous and disappointed. It was obvious Ursa wasn't pleased that this was going on behind her back.

"Well, everyone knows me as Azula the demon! I thought it be reliable to try dating on the internet then attempting to get a boy at school who remembers the old me, Mom!" she shot back why she did this behind her back.

"Azula, I'm very disappointed in you. Tomorrow after school you are gonna show me _exactly_ all that you put on this website. Furthermore, I want to know what you've put on the internet too, Zuko. I'll want to know the same for Akiko just to know how far you guys go without protecting yourselves on the internet.

"Yes, Mom." they both hung their heads shamefully.

"Now, Azula, if you're going to meet a perfect stranger on a date, I'm sorry but he's going to have to deal with your mother tagging along for this date. Either you let me come or you don't get to meet this boy at all. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mom," she admitted in defeat. No turning back now that she was caught and confessed to it.

"Good, I"m getting my coat and we're going to leave now. Zuko? We will finish our conversation later," as she hurried to get her red autumn coat and then took her 15-year-old daughter and they left to go on this blind date.

Zuko sighed and went into the main house frustrated and to get some hot chocolate and ran into Ember who was already drinking some in the manor's designer kitchen. "Hey saw Aunt Ursa looking upset with Azula. What did she do?" she asked in a nosy way.

"Not practicing internet safety and trying to go on a blind date behind Mom's back. Let this be a lesson, Ember. Don't keep secrets from your parents. They always find them in the end. And it's not pretty when they do." Zuko warned her as he took a long swing of his Aunt Kim's tasty hot chocolate.

It was so gratifying. Iroh made the greatest tea in the world. However, Aunt Kim was the master of hot chocolate. No doubt about that.

Ember got a little apprehensive about that and her older cousin looked at her suspiciously. "Ember did you do something wrong that you are keeping a secret about?" as he put down his mug of hot chocolate.

"No, I've done nothing wrong...at least I don't think I've done anything wrong. It's complicated!" she sputtered apprehensively as she overheated the hot chocolate in her hands and the mug shattered into a hundred little pieces.

"I'll clean it up. Remember intense emotions set off your bending. Then again we don't start bending classes till tomorrow."

"I've been trying to deal with my intense emotions by going to the motocross track. I mean you're not the only one Lu Ten left a bike for. He left you that solar-powered motorcycle before his death.

He left me a motocross bike in shape of a phoenix. That was his nickname for me. Little Phoenix," she recalled fondly about her other cousin.

"Yeah, Lu Ten would've done great things if that drunk driver didn't hit and kill him. He left me my motorcycle, Akiko her diary, you, your motocross bike."

"Did he leave Azula anything?"

"If he did Uncle and Aunt Kim never found it. I know Aunt Kim looked in his room for clues as she left his room the same. But if he left her one final gift we've been incompetent to find it."

"Uh, so what is going to happen to all of us this week?"

"Well, the Academies open this week for both Benders and Warriors. Monday, Wednesday and Friday after school classes. Which leaves us to all have group study sessions at the Jasmine Dragon on Tuesday and Thursday."

"So what do we on the weekend?"

"That's an easy answer, Ember," called a voice from the kitchen doorway and they looked up to see Akiko had arrived. She came bearing gifts as she had a cardboard box with her.

"Hey! Xiaoying found another babysitter for the night and thought I'd see how everyone else is doing for a couple of hours.

Also didn't want to intrude when I saw Mom and Azula show up at the cafe/boutique. So till they come back I'm here. Here, I brought cupcakes. Made them myself."

"Thanks! Hmm, double fudge!"

"Yes, well I did have some help from our godfather, to be honest. He said he needed something to calm his mind before taking Xiaoying out to calm her down."

"Either way this is sweet. So what were you saying before we got double chocolate fudge, Akiko?" asked Ember as she got morsels and icing all over her face.

"I was gonna say," as she got some paper towels and started to clean Ember's face up, " We all may be growing but were not grown-ups just yet. Because when you get busy it's because way to easy to forget that you've got have some fun. Because you've got to make some time in your life for play and fun."

"Amen to that, my Fire Lily. Don't ever let yourself say "Sorry I've got way more important things to do." Because making time to play and have fun is just as important too." Zuko replied in a sing-song voice as he threw the box the cupcakes came in the recycling bin and Ember glanced at the two.

"Are we singing a jaunty happy tune?" she asked in a bemused voice.

"Not really just reminding ourselves duties vs heart and work and play there must be a balance there as well and neither should become more important than the other as well." Akiko simply laughed vivaciously.

The next day school was very exhausting itself with all the teachers giving them so much homework the whole gang felt they wouldn't get it done till this time next year. But they just hopped on a bus to take them to the two Academics.

The two Academics were two massive temples fashioned from marble, gold, and glass ornamented with gemstones, wildflowers, and representations from all four nations.

"Anyone else apprehensive?" as Aang asked apprehensively as they all got off the large yellowish omnibus and stood before the Academies.

"Aang, are you more concerned about the fact people expect you to get it right the first time because your the Avatar or just fitting in with everyone?" Arianna asked her little brother as she made him look at her.

"Ari, it's both! Now that I'm the Avatar I've to master everything and get it perfect! People expect me to be perfect and do it flawlessly and everything..."

"Aang! Aang! Calm down and listen to me listen to me, little brother," as she held him tight and made him look into her beautiful light brown eyes.

"Remember what Mom and Dad told us?"

"They help us make any of our heart's desires come true?"

"Yes, but what else they have told us? Back at the beginning of summer? Right after they found me and we started to renovate?"

"I don't remember."

"I do. I remember. They told us to remember that no one is perfect. Not even the mighty avatar. You are just as human as the next person. You will fly and you'll crawl even the Avatar falls.

Mom and Dad don't expect anything from you expect to do your best and that's all anyone can ask for.

Whether humans expect the impossibility of perfection, where they can remember people are human and make mistakes. That it matters not where a person born or their job and that image doesn't matter. That we all make mistakes, are flawed and get embarrassed?

We are human and imperfect and that is what you need to remember always and that's why you are loved so much. Just for being you and all that you do. Mistakes, flaws and just being human."

Aang cried with silver tears and his sister hugged him tightly. "You'll do just fine. And so will I'll. I'll be waiting for you when you're done with the waterbenders. I'm gonna go practice airbending."

"Okay, love you, sis."

"Don't worry, Arianna I'll take good care of your brother," Katara reassured the young Airbender girl.

Arianna looked intensely at the Waterbender as she was trusting her with her little brother who again was her responsibility to care and protect. Didn't matter to her that Katara was his girlfriend Aang was more her responsibility to care for her as she was his older sister. Arianna was just finally starting to understand what it meant to be a big sister and she wasn't about to let anyone harm her little brother. Not even his girlfriend. Not on her watch.

"Well, make sure you do take care of my little brother, Katara. I know you'll be learning to splash water around today. But I don't need my brother drowned and no funny business!

I know you like him but let leave the romance out of the class and focus on the bending, okay?" she said with cross arms and did her best impression of her mother at her sternest and it seemed to work.

"Uh sure. I can do that, Arianna. Not a problem." Katara took a few steps back from Aang's older sister. She seemed satisfied she put fear into Katara.

"Okay. And for the record, its "Ari" not "Arianna," as she hugged her little brother tightly one more time and left to go to a space to practice airbending while Aang, Katara, and Nita went with other Water Tribe kids of various ages to learn waterbending.

"Is it just me or your sister a little scary?" Nita remarked as they went into a room that was decorated to look like the Water Tribe and had huge pools of water.

Standing in traditional Water Tribe clothing was Pakku and well in a few short minutes he had the class attention and in another few short minutes, half the class was encased in ice or half drowned. It was gonna be a long afternoon.

Toph and Brock having Earthbending class in their own area. Though it would appear Toph and Bumi the teacher were ending up teaching together even if she was supposed to be a student.

Firebending was different altogether from everything else given you had Jeong-Jeong teaching it. He spent the first half of the class lecturing about philosophy before they even started to bend.

Personally, Azula, Zuko, Akiko, and Ember were happier learning from Uncle who seemed to be a Master in his own right once bending returned. He still promised to teach them all in private but still by law they had to attend these classes as well.

Sokka and Suki were not given a break either. Even though Suki was teaching a class herself it wasn't any easier. For the whole gang and the teachers, it was all bitter and hard work.

There were mistakes big and small, laughter, teasing and embarrassment but everyone just gave it their best and let their masters do the rest.

When it came to their study sessions at the Jasmine Dragon homework and studying was not any easier. At least while they're at the tea shop Kim and her sister Nurita could serve them good food and tea and offer motherly advice.

Also while the kids were cramming their parents could also come and do their own work in another corner and bond as well. So it was at least a happy atmosphere for everyone.

Which was proven in just the first day? That first Tuesday the famous mystery tea and cookies were whipped up and served to everyone and Kim turned on the CD player to play her favorite Christian songs.

" _Hold it all together  
Everybody needs you strong  
But life hits you out of nowhere  
And barely leaves you holding on_

 _And when you're tired of fighting_  
 _Chained by your control_  
 _There's freedom in surrender_  
 _Lay it down and let it go_

 _So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away_  
 _You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held_  
 _Your world's not falling apart, it's falling into place_  
 _I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held_  
 _Just be held, just be held_

 _If your eyes are on the storm_  
 _You'll wonder if I love you still_  
 _But if your eyes are on the cross_  
 _You'll know I always have and I always will_

 _And not a tear is wasted_  
 _In time, you'll understand_  
 _I'm painting beauty with the ashes_  
 _Your life is in My hands_

 _So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away_  
 _You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held_  
 _Your worlds not falling apart, it's falling into place_  
 _I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held_  
 _Just be held, just be held_

 _Lift your hands, lift your eyes_  
 _In the storm is where you'll find Me_  
 _And where you are, I'll hold your heart_  
 _I'll hold your heart_  
 _Come to Me, find your rest_  
 _In the arms of the God who won't let go_

 _So when you're on your knees and answers seem so far away_  
 _You're not alone, stop holding on and just be held_  
 _Your worlds not falling apart,_ it's _falling into place_  
 _I'm on the throne, stop holding on and just be held (stop holding on and just be held)_  
 _Just be held, just be held, just be held, just be held"_

"So is everyone in a more pleasant mood? Are you calmer and ready to study?" asked Kim as she finished serving the tea and cookies as the song ended.

"Yes, Aunt Kim," Zuko chimed as he sipped his tea.

"Very good. So, again anyone needs anything just call for me or my sister. Your parents will be here for our own get together in 45 minutes. So please just do your best work and hopefully, we will all get along till then?" she asked and they all nodded.

"Okay, let's trying and work on similar assignments that should at least help. So if you've got the same class with the same assignment do that assignment together and then we all quiz each other on the other subject.

Maybe we can all learn from each other. Sound like a plan?" suggested Akiko and everyone agreed and then started to carry it out.

Consequently, Toph and Aang who only had a few classes different from one another began to do their history, math, and biology classes and Aang helped Toph study for health and she helped him study for Social Science.

Katara, Arianna, and Brock did their homework for the classes they'd shared while helping study for the class they didn't share while Sokka and Suki did the same with Ember and Nita did the same.

Azula who was also here just stuck with friend Mai and Ty Lee as they're still in all the same subjects.

Though as they all had the same math teacher it was at least something they could all equivalently study for together. Maybe a different topic of math but they could all tackle math together and get a leg up on it together.

"So what do you think? Have we gone through every math subject that ever gonna be taught in high school?" Ty Lee asked the group at large as she was now standing on her head as if that would undo how much her brain was hurting.

"I never want to do another math problem in my life!" Mai expresses in disdain and was playing with her blades.

"Mai, don't ruin my aunt's decor! Please!" begged Azula who again caught Mai by surprise in her friend's change in behavior.

"Fine. But let's face it we've all been doing homework for like two freaking hours. Can we please do something other than hit the books?"

"But our parents insisted that school comes first!" Ember spoke courageously to the pale skinned Goth girl with the knives who was taller than her.

"Ember if you weren't Azula's cousin I might have thought of giving you a haircut. But I won't. Still can we please talk about something that's not bookworm stuff?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to talk about something else for a little bit now that homework is done and all, right?" Nita squeaked in a mouse-like voice.

"Well, it's only Tuesday and we still have got a long week ahead of us. More bending and warrior classes and another study session on Thursday and then there the weekend," Ari pointed out.

"Well, why don't we just talk about the weekend now? Get that planned and out of the way?" Brock asked.

"Now someone making sense!" Mai declared cheerfully.

"Didn't your parents lay down some rules with you two?" Katara wanted to know.

"Well," Mai blew some dark hair out her face. "I'm already deadpan enough because of my mom being a control freak. Why do you think I'm so good with knives?" as she played with her blades.

"Trust me you don't want her to answer that. Though its also the same reason she composes such great and dark poetry," Ty Lee whispered to them.

"Well, let's not pry into anyone private life. Let's just focus on the good stuff. So how about this weekend it's nothing but fun?" Akiko suggested to one and all with a gleam in her jade green eyes.

"What do you have in mind, my fire lily?"

"Saturday we go spend the morning doing our favorite sports. Half the morning at the skate park the other half at the Polar Park so the winter sports get played.

Then we go out to have some lunch. After lunch, we can go to that amphitheater and make music and maybe dance if we feel like it.

Point in time in the evening we hop a ferryboat to Avatar Star Island to watch the sunset and then stargaze.

On Sunday we spend the day doing artwork, watching Meta and cooking. Anyone disagree with that plan for the weekend say nay!" No one said nay and she then smiled "Everyone who in for it scream "YAY!"

"YAY!"

So that's precisely how Team Avatar's weekend played out and it really did give everyone a chance to bond. It also seemed the four new members were getting more comfortable with the group and getting to know each other as well as bonding with their families more.

All in all, things were falling into a comfortable routine and everyone was enjoying this new quest and part of their lives.


	4. Garden of Dreams

Garden of Dreams

Though it was the beginning of October and the air was slowly shifting to crisp and the tree leaves were changing to that red that the only autumn could claim its own along with golden orange and rich yellow Team Avatar and their four new members were currently in one of the sweltering greenhouses belonging to Kimana.

Last year she'd gifted all six of them with extraordinary hybrid flowers of her own conception of raising them as a component of a project of self-discovery and soul-searching. Thus this year she wished to recommence with that mission by starting them off with new flowers as the world had just been reborn and with it so had they themselves.

She likewise wished to begin the four brand-new adolescents on their individual journeys. Furthermore bring everyone closer in bonds of love, family, and friendship. She was continuing to reassure them that the magic brought on by cultivation would certainly benefit them in the long run with them bonding. Furthermore, it would be beneficial medicine for both their souls and help their minds find revelation plus enlightenment.

She also had insisted her niece and her friends be part of this as well. Consequently, presently they're all standing in greenhouse 3 which housed her most extraordinary crossbreed flowers and also were her specifically developed butterflies lived to nurtured the bizarre wildflowers that were cultivated here.

Right now she and her sister Nurita were involved in passing out the various hybrid flowers to each ethnic group that was as unique as each of them.

For Arianna and Aang they're given a hybrid of a peony and chrysanthemum. Sokka, Katara, and Nita were given a crossbreed of snowdrops and marigolds. Toph, Brock, and Suki who'd also been asked to join were given hyacinth blended with crocus. And finally, for the large group of Fire Nation children, they're given sunflower and lilies.

"Now, I want to make certain you done your homework on all of these flowers. Both sides to them as there two sides to each person. Understanding both halves of you helped many of you last year if you recall correctly.

When you discovered about 'yin" and "yang" studying it further will only benefit you even greater in the days to come. Moreover again identifying much in life is two halves of the same whole. How several elements are symbiotic in life as are people as well.

How we all depend on the balance and one thing depends on the other for survival and the endless friendship of the four elements that produce the life of this world," Kim opened in a rather philosophically way as she and her sister finished giving everyone their flowers and now stood at the front of her greenhouse.

"So as you look at your little seedlings now you'll see they have yet to grow. Just as you are just seedlings now. They need time, love and tenderness to grow but they will depend on all four elements working in friendship and harmony to grow and bloom.

But each flower is unique just as you are unique. So you too must bloom as people if your flowers are to bloom. Therefore we want you each day to heed these words and sing them to your flowers in the morning as the dawn rises." Nurita instructed as she cleared her voice and sang in a most golden voice of charm and wonder.

" _You've seen the damage words can do_

 _When full of thoughtless pride_

 _Now heed the wiser voice in you_

 _That calls to be your guide_

 _The flowers reaching for the sun are all uniquely blessed_

 _But though each is special not a one is better than the rest_

 _Bloom, bloom, may you know_

 _The wisdom only time breeds_

 _There's room, bloom and you'll grow_

 _To follow where your heart leads,_

 _Bloom and may you bring_

 _Your colors to the vast bouquet_

 _There's room, bloom, learn one thing_

 _Your gifts are meant to give away."_

"And before you go to dream you must sing to your flowers once again this song to help yourself and them bloom," Kim added as she cleared her voice to sing in her angelic voice the second verse.

" _How long must there be anger here_

 _Before we can rejoice_

 _Embracing love instead of fear_

 _Is but a simple choice_

 _It's hard for me to see you fall_

 _So bitter and so blind_

 _When the truest nature of us all_

 _Invites us to be kind_

 _Bloom, bloom, may you know_

 _The wisdom only time breeds_

 _There's room, bloom and you'll grow_

 _To follow where your heart leads_

 _Bloom and may you live_

 _The way your life was meant to be_

 _There's room, bloom and forgive_

 _May sweet compassion set you free."_

They all looked at each other not sure what to think so Nita raised her hand. "Yes, Nita is it?" Kim thoughtfully asked the adolescent Waterbender with the dyed braids who flushed a brilliant rose.

"Yes, I have got a question," she asked still blushing under the kind gaze of the magnificent Fire Nation woman.

"What is your question, little bear?" Kim asked surprising Nita that she knew the pet name her mother used for. As that what her name meant was "Bear"

Though really Nita shouldn't have been surprised, to be honest after all their parents had been getting to know each other during their bi-weekly studying sessions at the Jasmine Dragon and Kimana was the kind of woman who could become anyone best friend without even trying.

"Well, this song your sister and you wish us to sing? Does it have symbolic meaning? Why do we have to sing it to these flowers? Are the flowers symbolic to each of our backgrounds? Did you pick them for us for a reason?

My mother Kameko says nothing ever happens in life without some kind of reason behind. She is not one to believe there isn't some kind of symbolic meaning in life in one way or another.

Even with the dogs, she breeds she gives them symbolic names correlated to our society. Though I never admitted this aloud before for fear being laughed at..." she strongly hesitated before she blabbed out the rest. "But I believe she was a Water Sage in a past life in the Lost Age," she finished with her rambling and hung her head as if she was self-conscious of this speculation and would be snickered at for it.

No one said or did anything least of all laughed at Nita's statement. Which was a good sign? Kim simply smiled a friendly smile before she nonchalantly strolled over to the young 15-year-old teenager and laid a soothing hand on her head and spoke in a melodious sympathetic voice of love.

"You've already begun to unlock your mind, Nita. To see exceeding the four walls that had you confined so well. You'll need that in the days to come and if you are to help defend this brand-new world and keep the balance.

It will also assist you in mastering Waterbending. After all, bending is from the Spirit and is not a physical power. It's a great honor to all who have gifted it with it," she started to speak softly before looking at the gathering at large.

"Yes, everything in life as hidden meaning and like how life is a never-ending quest with an abundance of conundrums including various little riddles you must figure out. However, you must continuously be open-minded to all things."

"What do you mean, Aunt Kim?" inquired Ember curiously and her mother answered her daughter's question immediately.

"In this unique world that has the past fused with the present, we must absolutely open our minds to any and all possibilities no matter how far-fetched or ridicules they seem. What seemed improbable before must be seen as probable. The unacceptable must be seen as permissible.

We must be willing to try everything and that literally means everything. Don't let your minds shift back to becoming short sighed and restricted. Let the garden of your dreams and imagination grow and thrive. Keep asking questions, keep fighting, keep getting back up. Keep looking.

Never think you have seen or done it all for there always more. Never come complacent. This is something else you'll learn as you do your gardening. Again not long ago you couldn't have made two different flowers become one could you?"

"No that is true. And no one would ever believe the Lost Age was anything but a fable." pointed out Ari in a matter of face way.

"Then that's one impossible miracle come true. Now let's see what else can you all do. Grow, thrive, and bloom!" the sisters encouraged them with great enthusiasm in their voices.

Now Arianna had her hand in the air and again Kim nodded and asked, "Yes, Ari? What do you wish to know?"

"I was perhaps wondering if I could possibly use my pottery skills to make everyone their own unique flower pot to house their flower? I've been itching to do some pottery and I'd like to do this if you'd allowed me."

"Excellent idea. That would be a great way to further help them bloom. Anyone else likes to contribute to this excellent idea?" Kim asked the group and Brock shyly held up his hand.

"Yes, Brock?"

"Well, I wanted to attempt to use my Earthbending to sculpt. Maybe at the end of the school year, we could plant our flowers as part the school gardens and I could make some miniature figurines for it?"

"I'll talk to my husband Iroh about improving the school grounds by beautifying it more. Since they already have the water, zen and mural but a flower garden would be a delightful idea."

"Any else have any other ideas please feel free to contribute them. For now, let's get started with the basics of gardening." Nurita suggested as the kids started to work at each of their tables as quiet chit-chat was being made as they worked.

Though Ari leisurely strolled over to Brock and seemed a bit bashful. "Hi, Brock is it?"

"Yes, your name is Arianna?"

"Ari. So you're my brother Toph's cousin, as I understand it?"

"Yeah, my parents are her parents' younger siblings by two years. Though I'm two years older than her."

"Well, I just wanted to tell you my mother is Akanke the school art teacher. I'm positive she let you work on your sculpting project after-school if you ask if you can work in her classroom. That's where I'm gonna work on the pottery."

"She's got things for a pottery?"

"Plenty of things for pottery though we do lack a kiln. Though I suppose if my brother really tries he could help with that," she giggled at the thought of Aang using firebending to help with her pottery.

"I don't know if that's a good use of bending."

"Well, we are not using bending any longer just for fighting, are we? You want to use it to sculpt. Doubt your cousin likes to do that. Not from what my brother told me of her. He told me she almost beat him black and blue when they met because he steps on her dog's foot."

"Toph got to be tough given how dense our parents are. She's always willing to fight."

"We of the Air Nomads say a fight avoid is a fight won."

"Hmm. Well, I'll appreciate working side by side you in the art classroom, Ari."

"I think I'll enjoy it too," she replied with a tinge of pink to her cheeks.

When they're all dismissed and heading home Aang couldn't help but notice there was a spring in his sister step and she was humming like a hummingbird.

"Ari? You okay?" he asked her and she shook herself free from her thoughts.

"Yes! Yes! Why do you ask, little brother?" she asked him in an annoyed voice.

"Because you got a goofy grin on your face and you walking on cloud nine?" he replied back sarcastically.

"Don't be ridicules! I'm an Airbender and we may be able to flit about on our gliders but none of us can actually fly!"

"Only one person was able to achieve that, sis. Dad told me a long time only one Airbender achieved actual flight but that was well over a couple millenniums ago. He said to do one must somehow lose _all attachments that keep them earthbound and become one with the void and achieve weightlessness."_

"What?! Become so inhuman that you can fly? How can you enter a void unless you're devoid of being human? How can you be able to lose all earthly attachments and everything would keep you earthbound unless you gave up your humanity?" she asked him puzzled at that statement.

Aang shrugged at the thought at the strange idea too. It would be cool to fly but if it did mean become inhuman to do so was it really worth it? To never touch the ground again was to not be part of the human race again?

"I have often wondered if we have to study that predicament in the philosophy class, to be honest. But be truthful sis. You are extraordinarily happy about something. So tell me what's making you so elated?"

"Okay! Just don't tell Mom and Dad! At least not yet! I'm still gonna have to ask Mom about it, but if she gives me and Brock permission to use the school art classroom to do our art projects, that is if Principal Iroh approves of the garden, I want to make sure she's not gonna bother me or Brock." she retorted back at him.

"Why would she bother you and Brock?" Aang asked puzzled clearly a little slow on the uptake.

"The same way you don't want Mom or Dad to 'bother' you and Katara, Aang!" she yelled rudely at her clueless brother.

"Wait?! What?! You like Brock?! Wait when did that happen?!" he got in front of her and gawked at her with huge gray eyes and she blushing a fierce shade of fuchsia

"Will you not yell and tell all of Republic City?!"

"Sorry! But when did you get a crush on him?!"

"Well, he's in a lot of my classes at school and I've thought he's charming for a while now, to be perfectly frank. Except we've never just been really alone to get to know each other one on one since we've done everything as a group."

"Is this one of those things when opposites attract? Since he's Earth and we're Air?"

"I don't care what element he bends!"

"Okay! Calm down! Sheesh!"

"Well, Katara is a Waterbender! She's not an Airbender and yet I can't believe in all this time you two been together your body hasn't misbehaved!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked once again confused and she looked at him again if he was being a dunce.

"Aang your 14-year-old boy! You have hormones! You've got a hot girlfriend and I was convinced Dad at least taught "The Facts of Life" to you at some point when you are about to go through puberty!" she had both smacked her head and gritted her teeth.

"Oh," now he got what she had been trying to say without having to use the word. "No, I've not had _that ever happen to me. Thankfully."_

"Now, look not a word to Mom! You're not to tell her or Dad I've got a crush got it?! I want some alone time with Brock to get to know him and hopefully, he'll at least ask me out on a date!

I don't need this messed up by you or Mom or Dad! So keep your lips shut! Got it!" she glared her light copper-colored eyes on her brother who was somewhat surprised not going into Avatar State out of sheer panic.

"Yes, I get it, Ari. I won't say anything to Mom or Dad. But please don't kill me!" he cringed in a whimpering heap on the ground. Not like he was the omnipotent Avatar but simply like he was the little brother who was terrified what his big sister might do to him.

She realized she had literally terrified her little brother and might have been too hard on him and sighed heavily. "Look I didn't mean to yell or scare you, Aang. I've just never had a crush before. I'm sorry," she apologized as she assisted him off the ground.

She looked at him shamefully and sighed again softer this time though and played with her hair. "Look you remember how Mom and Dad had to keep their relationship a secret? Or how I had to fight to keep my Spirit Wind contained so I wouldn't be bullied by the Women Council like the Men Council bullied you?" she asked him suddenly.

"Yes, I got picked on all the time and that Council chewed me out all the time," Aang recalled how unhappy he'd been on Air Temple Island and why he was so happy now living with his family.

"I finally can just be me, taste some real freedom and I just want to be able to do things I've always dreamed. Like I can dress the way I want and maybe like Mom and Dad find true love." Ari softly confided with her little brother.

"But are you angry at me?" Aang really wanted to know.

"No, a little envious that you got there before me, but not angry," she admitted the truth.

"You envy me?" he blinked in surprise at that statement.

"You and Katara are so happy and in love. I just want that for myself."

"Well, I'll help if I can. But we still need to get home before we're late for curfew."

"God I wish Mom and Dad would let us have gliders already!" as they raced as fast as two Airbenders could run home.

Toph and Brock were also talking in Brock's room in the East Wing. It was as big as hers but he had decorated it differently than hers not that she could see it of course. Well not with her eyes.

Now that she had her seismic sense she could 'see' things in a different way. His king size bed was in the center. There was a tall oak bookcase in the left upper corner with a large antique wardrobe in the opposite corner. Across from the bed were a proper old fashion writing desk and a huge builtin board.

However, amongst the out-of-date furniture of the ancient world, he had things of a typical kid like clothes spewed about, camera equipment, snack cake wrappers, and other odds and ends. Despite everything else Brock was just a 15-year-old teenage boy no matter his last name or the fact he was an Earthbender in this crazy humorous new world of theirs.

"So your not completely neat as a pin, I 'see'" Toph laughed as she and Rocky her old seeing eye dog came in. He was now her pet now that she could see with her Earthbending. Not that her parents again understood that anymore then they would ever understand her. They would always be stupid, blind, deaf, ignorant idiots for all time.

"Toph knock off the puns, please. Furthermore if your so good at seeing with your feet don't blab to anyone about my secret stashes of sweets! My parents refuse to let me have any 'sugary garbage" as they put it." he replied with a large frown on his handsome face.

"So that's why you got those two encyclopediae and dictionary that are really hollowed books or that secret compartment in the wardrobe to hide your secret stash of sweets or under the bed?" she asked him in a snarky voice.

"Ugh! How can you see all that?!" he grumbled to her and she laughed triumphantly, "It's just how I see, but don't worry I won't tell. Though I will tell if you don't share that bag of mini candy bars you've got hidden in the first encyclopedia on the top shelf left-hand side!"

"Fine!" as he got up and grabbed the book from the shelf. Then opened it and pulled out a plastic bag with his mini chocolate bars. Then he ripped it open and split it into two even piles and shoved Toph her half.

"Now keep your big mouth shut!" as he saw her shove like eight mini bars into her mouth at once which was gross to watch. Not that Toph cared at all what was good manners. Considering she let out a loud belch next.

"No worries cuz!"

"Yeah, no, worries at all! Except if you tell our parents about my stash of sweets or the fact I've got a crush on a girl who got no social standings! Fess up that's why you're in here!

You want to taunt me for liking Aang's sister! Just fess up already!" he accused her with his green eyes glaring at her blind ones.

"Well, I actually only came in to get my hands on candy I knew you were stashing. But thanks for telling me your crush! So you like the Avatar's big sister how cute!" she couldn't help but giggle about.

"Toph, please don't start any teasing about this!"

"What?! Why would I tease you about this?! We both promised we wouldn't let those ninnies tell us who to love or date! I wasn't ever gonna tease you about it!"

"Okay, if you're not gonna tease me what are you gonna do about it?"

"Well, if I have to help you woo her and then help you see her if she likes you back. But you still need to grow a bit of a spine, Brock."

"Why?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow and Toph smacked him on the head hard as if his head was a rock needing to be smashed.

"Hello! Her little brother is the Avatar! What do you think he's gonna do if you mistreat his sister?! He's going all glowy and kick your sorry ass into next Tuesday that's what!" she reminded him like he was a fool.

"Okay, forgot that little detail."

"Well, it's kind of hard to overlook, Brock!"

"So what do I have to do?"

"Well, I think some would tell you to be yourself. But I say you also need some solid fighting moves in case Aang does decide to kick your butt. Come on we're gonna sneak outside and I'm gonna teach you to toughen up."

"Toph it's past curfew!"

"You think that gonna matter to a 14-year-old who got all four elements at his disposable who wants to protect his sister's honor?"

"Okay, but let's not get caught!"

A week later Arianna and Brock were alone for the first time after school in the Art Classroom.

Akanke was with them at the moment giving them some rules and advice.

"Okay, now all the teachers are gonna be in a teacher conference meeting while after school activities are going on. As a result, the Academies have been closed for this week.

Now if you require anyone your brother and cousin are in the band room practicing their music with the rest of their friends. Iroh's niece and her friends are in the auditorium doing their own activities. Lastly, I was told Ember and Nita were gonna be in the gym participating in an after-school volleyball game.

Ari? You know where all the supplies are kept and you know the rules. Put everything back when your done and make sure everything is neat and tidy by the time you leave.

Remember all after-school functions last from 3:15 to 5:30. Therefore you have till then to work on your projects and we've all this week to work on them. So get to work. Let's get to it. Ari only calls me if you need anything. Bye sweetie." as she hugged her daughter and nodded at Brock and left to go to her meeting.

"Your mom seems especially nice," Brock quickly said as she left to which Arianna was already abashed.

"You don't find her embarrassing or something?"

"No, from what I heard she obviously went to great lengths to find you and is trying to make a home for you and your brother. Why would any of that be embarrassing?"

"Well," as she approached her potter wheel with some clay, "Most Air Nomads don't see her as a loving and devoted mother."

"What do they see her as?"

"Renegade? Demented? Traitor?" as she started to work on the first pot. Brock was about to speak when he watched mesmerized as Ari worked a magic he had never witnessed before now.

She'd began to chant a wordless chant of some kind as she worked. She had a look of deep concentration on her face as she worked. In only a few moments the clay rose and fell then grew taller.

He watched as it then rounded down until it curved into perfect symmetry. The spinning wheel slowed down as did Arianna's strange chant as she only began to mutter. She sat up straight to look quite closely at her work as she inspected the graceful shape for invisible faults.

Brock thought what she had produced was flawless and excellent in every shape and form. There was nothing wrong in what he could see. Furthermore, he was an amazing photograph himself so he knew he'd a good eye.

But for some reason, Arianna was angered with the perfect piece as she glowered and yelled "Pah!" shaking her head and in a single motion of sheer revulsion shoveled up the clay and slapped hard back onto the wheel whether upon it crumpled into an oafish lump again. As if the piece was something to be ashamed of.

It struck Brock as quite peculiar as from his viewpoint he hadn't perceived what was so offending about the vessel but whatever it had been must have been highly offending.

Arianna began to work again chanting once more and didn't look up as she repeats the steps again.

Thinking he needed to give her space he went over to an extra large slab of marble and tried to envision what he wanted to do with it. He began to unexpectedly hum a tune that he didn't remember where he heard it.

He just moved his hands to try and created the vision in his mind's eye but when he was done even he was annoyed with his first attempt. For what he had attempted to make honestly was Ari as a wind demigoddess and it looked appalling and not even close to what he was going for at all.

He crushed it into powder and tried again in the end both them didn't get it right or at least to their satisfaction till their fourth try. That it was definitely perfect or without flaws and looked exactly what they'd in their mind's eye.

It was then they looked up to see what the other was doing and blushed big time seeing the other's project.

Arianna saw Brock's small statute of her as a goddess and he could see the inlay work on her vase which she clearly been working on telling a story about him.

"Uh..."

"It's beautiful!" they both shouted loudly and still looked away as they stared at their feet awkwardly.

"So, um tell me what is that chant you do when you do your pottery?" he fumbled still looking down at the ground.

"It's a chant that has no name. I learned to do pottery from my old guardian on Air Temple Island as a form of recreation and to deal with anxiety. She taught me the chant.

She also taught me you'll have a feeling inside you to know when the work is truly perfect as is the clay. It's like an instinct or something of that nature and if you don't trust it your work will never be truly all you can be." she explained to Brock who now understood why she'd been displeased the first time.

"What about you? Do you have the same instincts when sculpting or doing your other art forms?"

"I'm mostly a photographer and I have got an excellent eye for that. So I know what it means to have perfection and need for the perfect moment and all that.

However, this first time I tried sculpting with my Earthbending and I was struggling to get it right. I'm a little jealous of Toph as it comes so much easier to her and she's the fighter in the family and I'm just not a fighter."

"You envy her because she can fight?"

"Well, she won't let people walk over her and I'm such a pacifistic I let my parents tell what to do to the point I never really thought for myself. I had to work up a lot of courage just to be bold enough to dye my hair green."

"So, let me see if I get this. You're the passive one in the family and yet you want your cousin to toughen you up?"

"I'd like to be more outspoken and a bit more able to fight, yes. At the same time, I hope I can teach my cousin to channel some of her anger into some non-destructive things. I enjoy reading, writing poetry and again photography."

"Coming from a passive culture we are more in-tune with those of the same nature. Though I've had a secret desire for my whole life to be a performer."

"What kind of performer?"

"A dancer," she admits shyly and lamented. "We Airbenders have a love for living poetry. Ballet, gymnastics, figuring skating anything that makes the body move in graceful, fluid and beauty movements.

I want to be the one performing such moves." she sighed in ecstasy at the very thoughts that filled her with such euphoria

"Well, I think I'd like to know more about your dreams."

"And I'd like to know more about yours as well," she replied in a silky voice.

And so that's how the week played out. Every morning they sing one song to their flowers, go to school, stay after school, come home have dinner and do their homework and then sing their plants to bed.

It wasn't till Friday that Arianna and Brock did what was pretty a taboo or at least in Brock family. Arianna was putting all the vases she'd made into a kiln to fry and Brock had finished with his statutes and came up behind her.

"So Arianna I was wondering something."

"Yes?" not even bothering to correct him on her name.

"Would you like to go out with me tomorrow? Like on a date?"

"A date?" she repeated faintly as her heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah, I know, I should maybe clear it with your family and I know it against the rules of my family. But I don't care. I really, really like you and I was hoping that you say..." as he didn't finish as she'd leap into his arms and was kissing him passionately to tell him yes.

And at precisely that moment her mother walked in and said: "Ahem is there something I should know about?"

"Mom! I..." she started and Brock quickly got untangled from Ari and stepped forward and bowed his head.

"Ms. Akanke, I mean no disrespect and I will not do any wrong. I only ask permission to date your beautiful daughter. Please?"

She looked at Arianna and then back at Brock before smiling. "I'll have to talk to my husband but it's okay with me if you follow the rules. Though I know you're playing a dangerous game with your own stuck up family no offense."

"I know that my family would never approve of this relationship. However, I really care for your daughter and I don't want absurd and inane rules to keep me from being with her."

"I know all about that and changing rules starts with one person standing up and defining them and saying this rule got to go. Change doesn't happen unless someone does something no-one done before."

"So you're okay with me?"

"I think you're a good boy and will treat my daughter just fine. But again I've to talk to my husband nonetheless. Now let's all get home and worry about this date in a little while okay?"

And with that, at least one flower of one kind had bloomed. A flower of a new budding relationship of love had bloomed in the garden of dreams.


	5. Moonlight River

Moonlight River

The bitter winds of autumn had picked up and the leaves colors had changed to deeper hues and were strewed about the ever-evolving metropolis as the cultures of the ancient past were now mixing with the culture of today.

It's like the seasons changing from one to another just as fall gives way to winter so the spring and summer may bring new growth and birth of new beginnings. Every season comes and goes and so do to people who change as the water ebbs and flows but that is the one certainty of life. It's constantly changing and there always room to grow and for new life to come from that which has died and yet awaiting rebirth in a new season.

Though it seems the dilemmas of today would now be resolved with the assistance from the customs of the past. It would seem like you overhear regarding virtually every day on the news or any social media outlet that environmental changes brought on by irresponsible people and their reckless ways were altering the climate rapidly with the overcompensation of natural resources and thoughtless contamination.

Republic City was no different in the respect that the air was squalid, the waters were mucked up and the ground was spoiled with god knows what. However, now that both the Avatar and benders had returned to the world they'd hoped to change that, for the better of the Earth, Mankind and for both Futures.

City Hall along with the Old Masters and Leaders of the Nations had voted to recommend a radical course of action in their endeavor to preserve the planet or at least their corner of it. If successful maybe what they did here could be used in other parts of the world and the Earth ultimately have a fighting chance at last.

Utilizing modern day technology along with the four bending arts throughout the month of November before wintertime came to the city all of the citizens of Republic City would attempt to do a city-wide cleanup. It would be the city's largest venture since both the peace rally and building Avatar Wan High.

And if effective again propose to use bending for more then just the way it was used in the Lost Age as a form of martial arts but put it to use in everyday life. Even non-benders primarily the students of Avatar Wan High were enthusiastic to get down, dirty and messy to do their part to help clean up their city.

Which is why at the moment a substantial gathering of people was at Iroh's residence best deciding how to advance with the plan in how to achieve this goal of cleaning up Republic City.

The Fire Nation Women in the family was occupied in making a generous lunch for everyone to take great pleasure in later. Furthermore not to be inappropriate guests Kameko and Akanke had brought traditional food of their people to the gathering while also helping out in the kitchen and dining room set up for the great number of people gonna be eating for this huge meal.

Kameko had made homemade five-flavored soup and Akanke had made two humungous fruit pies which they're serving along with the other women while the men were involved with the charts, diagrams and other graphs of interest in the living room at the moment.

"At least they're in the other room while we get this meal set up properly in the dining room for them. Kim do you want the formal wear for my soup or the ordinary dishes?" Kameko asked as she laid an elegant indigo soup pot with black and white koi fish depicted on it in the center of the long and beautiful antique table. They'd to set up a secondary table to accommodate everyone.

"Well, the finery is only used for the most special circumstances. Although you can use the secondary finery in the second cupboard to the left. It's not as fine but uses for less formal occasions but more attractive than average flatware."

"I'll get it for you, Kameko! You just worry about setting the table," Akanke called over her shoulder as she went to the correct mahogany and glass cabinet.

"Well, in that case, you'll need someone who knows something about proper etiquette, high society, and proper manners. You all seem rather unschooled in the ways of proper demeanors," criticized Rowena as she and Owen arrived with Brock.

Everyone looked up from what they're doing to look up at the young rich couple and held their tounges with great difficulty. They'd been so far extremely polite with the Beifongs both sets of them. However they wouldn't tolerate their ostentatious behavior today and frankly, it was time they got off their high horse and learned a few manners of their own and honestly got several hints in several departments that make a very big difference in their lives.

Kim cleared her throat and spoke politely. "Mrs. Beifong, I assure you everyone is welcome in my home. We all are of good manners and extremely respectful. However we shall not have any put downs or ill speaking of any kind in my home, is that understood?" she eyed her sternly as she said this and enunciated heavily as she spoke to her.

When she was certain she got the message she continued on as if she hadn't just scolded her and said. "No one in this house is higher ranked than another. We are all the same and are treated equitably. Therefore we are all treated the same. Therefore I ask you right now to not talk down to anyone.

If you cannot you'll be politely asked to vacated the premises. Is that understood?" the lady of the house made clear as day.

"Crystal clear," replied primly the woman who'd her hair in an Eton Crop and modern take on a flapper dress in multiple shades of green.

Her husband himself like Brock had said was styled exactly like a well-to-do gentleman from the 1920's with his slick-backed hair, though he did have a tiny mustache and small glasses, and his clothes were again a modern update of the clothes in that era in shades of green. He too looked a bit taken aback by Kim's words but he got that message crystal clear.

"Rowena, why don't you help them in the dining room. I'll go met Lao to discuss the financial arrangements for this little venture. I'm sure Poppy will be along soon."

"Very well. Brock, you won't misbehave, will you? You'll act like a gentleman?"

"Mom, I'm just going to go hang out with my friends. If you be so kind to tell me where they are, Kim?" the young teenage boy inquired to the woman who'd been so kind to him and treated him just like a normal kid.

"Brock you can't address someone so informally!"

"It's alright, I don't mind being called Kim. And Brock everyone in the basement where the game room is. Where is your cousin?"

"She and Aunt Poppy are currently out front letting Rocky do his business then will come inside. Send her down when she gets inside. Call us when it's time for lunch!" as he hurried off towards the basement.

"You shouldn't be so informal. That's not proper manners..." Rowena started to admonish a grown woman in what was proper behavior when someone cut her off.

"And didn't Kim just tell you about your own manners in her home?" Akanke countered in a somewhat annoyed voice as she came back as she airbended the dishes onto the table. "Now you gonna be fussy pants or learn to loosen up some?"

"You could break all those expensive and priceless dishes with that foolish bending!" Rowena looked so scandalous as she quickly went over to the dining room and began to busy herself setting the table correctly still muttering criticisms for all the company she was in.

"We like to encourage our children to explore their capabilities and learn to use their gifts. Furthermore part of the point of this conference is using them to help clean up the city. Remember?" Kameko courteously reminded the highborn Earth Kingdom woman as she helped carry in some food from the kitchen with Ursa and Xiaoying behind her.

"Are none of you as mothers at all concerned about all the risks that these abnormal abilities are putting your children in? Or this absurd insane world is doing to a society that was already failing to be civilized is now descending into more primitive ways?" Rowena again looked as if they're the ones not right in the head.

"Rowena, are you and your family _ashamed that both Toph and Brock were gifted with Earthbending?"_ Ursa asked for all the mothers gathered around.

"How can all you not feel shamed?! This whole world lost its mind! There is no logic left and monstrosities have returned! Furthermore, there is anarchy and mayhem! There is so much sin already and this world and it's people..."

"Wow! Hold on a minute there sweetheart! I think it's maybe you guys who have the unenlightened, narrow-minded and old fashion thinking.

I mean look at how you and your husband preferred to style yourself? In the 1920s? From all our kids told us about how Toph and Brock live like it's no wonder they're fighting for independence and be free of your outdated thinking and customs." Akanke cut in and Rowena again looked at her if she was deranged.

"I beg your pardon? You went against your whole culture and were shunned? Who are you to talk?"

"Well, we think she was the smart one. For the world is continually evolving. Moreover, change doesn't happen except someone chooses to be the first one to break away from the crowd and do it.

After all haven't you ever heard this little ditty?" Kameko paused before singing a little song that should clear it up.

" _Who's to say the rules must stay the same forevermore_ _  
_ _Whoever made them had to change the rules that came before_

 _So make your own way_ _  
_ _Show the beauty within_ _  
_ _When you follow your heart_ _  
_ _There's no heart you can't win_

 _So reach for the sky_ _  
it's_ _not as high as it seems_ _  
_ _Just follow your heart_ _  
_ _Go as far as your dreams_

 _Dare if you want to_ _  
_ _Don't fear you'll fall_ _  
_ _Take a chance 'cause it's better than never to chance it at all_

 _There's a world for the changing_ _  
_ _And you've just begun_ _  
_ _Don't let them tell you it's simply not done_ _  
_ _When you follow your heart_ _  
_ _You'll shine bright as the sun!"_

"You all are okay with the world change into...?"

"Rowena! There are two constant of life. We will die and things will change." Kameko pronounced resolutely tried to get through this woman's thick head.

"We grow and change as does the world. We have just adapted as the world changes and bending been part of the world since the beginning. It's apart of our culture and apart of our souls.

Perhaps it's long over-due for the Beifongs family to change?" Nurita recommended and sighed before continuing. "This world has changed you must change with you. You can just find a place and time in history and stop it right there because you like it.

Rules, laws and everything is always changing. Likewise, Rowena, all of us have long agreed that it's time your family stop living in the past and stop trying to make your children into someone their not and let them be who they are."

'Yes, because if you keep forcing them to be who they are not the more they are gonna push you away and then you are gonna miss the best thing your life. Your own children. Because you'll only see the child you want and not the one you have." Xiaoying flat out told them.

"So love your children for who they are. Don't be blind, deaf or ignorant any longer. Accept them for who they are and not what you want them to be. Live for what today is. And maybe get caught up with the world is today as well?" Kim added.

"Just some extremely beneficial advice from the mothers of your kids' friends who they actually talk too and share things with," Ursa added and smiled. "We have a good relationship with our kids. You might have a better one with your own if you listen to some of our advice. That's all."

"What advice are you talking about?" Poppy asked as she came in and didn't notice Toph and Rocky sneak down to the basement.

"Some words of truth and enlightenment you need to hear and heed that might improve your relationship with your kids and might help your family before it's too late," Kim replied as they went back to setting the table for lunch.

In another room, Iroh and the others were busy too. "So let me see if I'm reading this right, Hakoda? Your father-in-law who's both the Waterbending Master and Math Teacher has used a mathematics formula to divide up each section of the city into mathematical equal zones, correct?"

"Yes, Pakku was able to figure out how we can have 2 sets of teams of benders and non-benders working together in each section of the city on remedy all the pollution in each section of the city."

"Pakku was also helped to figure out an efficient way to manage time, supplies, and other things." Bato pointed to the large map of the city and was thumbtacks was pinned spread out on the coffee table.

"I do hope you recognize the cost of this project and the funds to the city need to be reimbursed for all this. So the Beifongs are willing to put the necessary funds into the city but we like compensation for our work," Lao started to say and his brother-in-law added.

"Yes, the cost is astronomical and we are all for being generous and helping the city for any good purpose but your personal interest, of course, must be protected." Owen established for his family.

"How strange this world has become. That we are taught was the seven deadly sins are. Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride. My wife knows all of them and all the synonymous so well.

She's such a woman of great faith and yet she seeks in so many ways to dissolve the sins that the world has chosen to embrace and revolve around. Look at yourself. Mr. Beifongs.

You will not simply even do 'the right thing' like so many other people unless somehow the sin of greed is the reimbursed in some manner.

No-one simple does what is good and righteous anymore. The world embraces sin and not the seven virtues. What we should be doing is embracing and acting upon Chasity, Temperance, Generosity, Diligence, Patience, Gratitude and Humility. And it won't hurt to be kind, honest, loyal and show empathy either." Iroh spoke of the wisdom his beloved wife had from her way of faith.

"We don't seek to get in an argument on the grounds of religion, Iroh." Owen began but it wasn't Iroh who spoke then it was Gyasto who illuminated "We aren't speaking merely of religion, good sirs. We are speaking of how one should live just life itself and that not needed for any formal religion.

What is right and wrong is indisputable. You should embrace love, friendship and have hope and faith no matter who you are. However, you should eternally do the right thing without requiring anything in return other than a simple thank you.

To give yourself for others should be reward enough. Pieces of paper or piece of metal hold no meaning when all that does matter in the end is what kind of person you are.

And who you are is defined by the sum of who you are."

"Gyasto speaks the truth. We seek out our whole life who we are but that is determined every day for us. Our friends and family. The good, bad, and in-between. The choices we make for good or ill. The people who love us and who hate us. Thoughts, feelings, and opinions.

There is so much who makes us who we are but in the end, it's our hearts and souls and what we do in our physical life and what kind of legacy which we chose to leave behind that will matter no matter what you believe it will make all the difference when you leave this world.

Whether you think or believe in the next life it gives you at least a piece of mind at least if you feel you've done good with your life and left good behind." Piandao related in his own wisdom as he was giving his daughter Xiang her bottle.

"That we can all agree on. Plus the genuine immortality isn't living forever as you should know and we all should know. It what you do with the time we've got and leaving a legacy of love behind with our children." Iroh finished and then drew their attention back to the work in front of them.

"Which is why it's so important that we still have a planet left for us to live on. The world won't care about such trivial things if your bald or have smooth skin or if you're dressed in some ridiculous garment or your phone has the latest app.

It will perish all the same if we don't stop here and now and work together to save it. Now let's focus on what actually matters and not what is absolutely frivolous and unnecessary and senseless absurdities to focus on.

Down in the basement, everyone was having a satisfying time. The boys were busy raging against the machine on the latest X-Box game that Iroh had obtained for them. Azula and her friends were occupied giving each other Mani-pedi.

The other girls were having a karaoke competition which Kiyi was enjoying being the judge of with Toph. And lastly, the remaining four kids were shooting pool. It was Arianna and Brock against Nita and Ember.

Nita and Ember seemed to be a pretty good team as they're winning the game. They're getting to a point they could almost finish each other sentences.

"So what do you think the adults are all blathering about upstairs?" Nita asked as she was lining up her shot.

"A little more to the left, Nita. You're trying to sink the nine and fifteen balls in the back left pocket. Raise your arm a little more so it's level," advised Ember and Nita did as she said and hit the cue ball and promptly sunk the balls in question.

"Great call, Ember! How you get so sizzling good at playing pool?" Nita asked her as Arianna was getting help from Brock to take her shot.

Ember flushed crimson. "Well, it was from a time in my life I'm not so proud of. After my father died when I was two things were okay for a while. But about the same time, Aunt Ursa had to go in hiding which was after cousin Lu Ten died my mom lost all her funds. Courtesy of Ozai wanting to make all of the family hurt."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"Don't worry. He'll get the needle sooner then he thinks. But because of him we lost our house and mom's place of work and had to take what little money we had essentially moved from seedy motels and homeless shelters for the last six years.

Aunt Kim would've taken us in but with Ozai already doing what he was doing to Zuko, Azula and Akiko didn't need to give more targets. One place we stayed for a little over a year was this motel that let you pay really miserly for a month.

It had a pool table in the bar area near the vending machines and not having anything better to do I play and challenged the other people in the motel. Had to do something for extra cash.

There were only two other alternatives to get money in that neighborhood and I wasn't gonna dishonor myself or my family. You know what I mean. No matter how pretty I am I wasn't gonna sell myself or sell poisons to make a buck!"

"So you lived in a bad neighborhood like that for how long?" Nita asked in a bewildered voice.

"From the time I was 12 till almost 14. Don't want to think about that disgusting time in my life anymore," as she sipped her diet cola. Wiping her lips she looked at Nita and asked her.

"So you got any sad stories? Or something you want to share with me?"

"Well, I was actually supposed to have a sibling back when I was 5 years old but that didn't happen."

"Why not?"

"It was an ectopic pregnancy. You know developed outside the uterus? It nearly killed my mother. She lived as you met her however it cost her profoundly. They had to do a hysterectomy in the end to save her. So I'm always gonna be an only child." Nita whispered morosely.

"Wow. I'm sorry. Really I'm sorry." Ember said in an apologetic tone.

"You know I never told anyone about that. Even Katara and Sokka don't know that." Nita confessed in astonishment she finally told that secret. Before more could be said Kim called down to the basement that lunch was ready.

Lunch was a boisterous and animated affair as they continued to discuss the plans to put into motion on how to eliminate the pollution in the city. Even if the non-benders would have to do it the old-fashion way. But some would use high tech equipment.

"So we can use a combination of waterbending and Earthbending to decontaminate the water sources throughout the city, Dad." Katara was saying as she was eating seaweed noddles.

"Well, I can still use my seismic sense in many useful ways for things underground too. Also the metalbending I taught will be highly useful too."

"The airbenders will do their part to clean the skies and air we breath. As I'm sure the firebenders will do all they can to help in any way they can, won't you Zuko?"

"Yes, of course, we will do all we can to help. But again all of us can't be in all places at once. So we still need to work in groups and doing this as a team with the rest of the school."

And the old masters which are why we've system worked out, honey. Don't worry we will get it all worked out in the end. Everyone will pitch in some way or another." Ursa assured them all.

At the start of the city-wide clean up the first up where the airbenders who had to fly all over the skies and eliminate the air pollution. That was the first job of the day. People were eager to see this for many reasons.

The biggest reason was that the Air Nomads were still so reluctant to be apart of the rest of society. Well by now their lemurs were almost fully back to be winged lemurs and most of the bison were less like dogs and at least the sizes and shapes of bison calf and could fly again.

Despite there was some bad blood between Aang's family and the rest of the Air Nomads they're in charge of leading them in the through several formations to resolve the clean up the air pollution.

The main reason they need Aang to go into the Avatar State at some point to give them the extra power they needed to finish the job and felt of if bygones were bygones he might actually finally pull it off.

Consequently, from dawn till noon, the Air Nomads were involved using their Airbending to eliminate the air pollution in the city and make the air cleansed again at the same time make amends with the Avatar's family.

After that, it was using waterbending and Earthbending to start cleaning the water sources while people picked up the trash throughout the city which the firebenders promptly melted down to be recycled. Then using firebending and earthbending they're busy cleaning up the contaminating ground beneath their feet as well.

Arianna, Brock, Nita, and Ember had been assigned to clean up the natural areas around the High School by themselves while everyone else was handling the other sections of the city.

They're the only benders the other students working there were all non-benders. The non-benders had already cleaned up all the debris from the surrounding area and were using approved chemicals and now we're busy tending the school grounds.

That left the four of them to check a nearby stream that was only the next block over from the school and use their bending to help uncontaminated the area together. Desiring to prove to their family and friends what they could do.

The four 15-year-old kids couldn't help but get a little show-off with their powers as they kept trying to top each other as they cleaned up this little stream. It was like they all wanted to dazzle each other and maybe do something a little more.

"So anyone wants to see this new bending trick I can that not even my brother can do?" Arianna giggled wildly as she was jumping about enthusiastically to show everyone. To which everyone nodded and she conjured up a flute made of air and began to play it and it sounded like various bird calls.

She took a bow and spun around like a ballerina. "Well, do you like my trick?" she asked in hopeful enthusiasm.

"It's nice you learned a new way to make bird calls. But can I show you something a bit more impressive?" Brock challenged his secret girlfriend.

"Oh please do if you can," she challenged him wondering what he could be up too.

"Okay, Ember I'll need your help with this."

"My help? Why?"

"Just need a little help. Give me a minute," as he took off his shoe and stomped his foot to use the seismic sense his cousin taught him and smiled. He then uses his bending to bring up small pockets of the earth which he concealed in his hands then walked over to Ember.

"Okay, Ember, just hold my hand and we'll bend together."

"Won't I burn you?!"

"Trust me, this will work. You have heard of a lavabenders? Earth and fire mixed together?"

"But are you one?"

"It will be okay. Trust me."

"Okay. Don't make me do something my mom gonna yell me for later," as she squeezed his hand and she felt them both bending whatever he was holding his hand and after a few moments she felt something heavy and smooth in their hands.

"It's done. Thanks, Ember. Here you go, Ari. A late birthday present. I'll get a ring to put it in later." but he handed her a bright blue sapphire!

"What did you just do?!" she asked in an awestruck voice as she gazed at it in astonishment.

"Well, I told you I read. Consequently, I've researched books on gemstones, minerals and crystals and such. Finally, I figured if Earthbenders and firebenders worked together they could create different gems if they just used the right source materials and bent it under the right pressure and heat," he explained what he had logically deduced.

"Wow that is so super cool!" all the girls exclaimed all imaging the custom jewelry that could soon be adorning their bodies.

"So do you two girls have anything to show us?" Ari asked them curiously and the two girls grinned widely before saying together what they had learned from each other.

"Well, what do you think of this? We thought we try to copy one move from each other just to see if you could transfer other bending moves to other styles," as Ember did a whip of fire and then Nita did two simultaneous ropes twirling of water.

"I guess water-rope jumping be a lot less dangerous then firerope jumping, huh?"

"Well, it was both a schoolyard game and sport in the Lost Age. But yeah doing double dutch with fire is a lot harder than doing it with water. But so was learning to transfer a water whip into a whip of fire."

"Some things just don't translate. But it is amazing how many things that seem so different are really like water and rain. That we are the same. You know that right?"

"I can really get that. I mean both fire and water work together so the earth can produce air."

"I guess we all been paying attention in those gardening lessons."

"Well, Ari my Uncle and his wife are likely the two wisest people ever to live!"

"I'd have to agree with her on that statement, Ari."

"Well... Oh Drat! That's my cell! It's my mom! Likely checking on us. We need to get back to the school I've got no signal here. Come on!" as they all used their bending to get to the school.

"Oh great! My battery just died!" Arianna groaned loudly when they got to school and she tried to call back her mom.

"Hey let's go inside. I'm sure we can use one of the landlines to call your mother. Ember do you have the keys to your uncle's office?"

"Oh yeah, here! Nita and I'll stay here and clean up. Once we're done will meet you at Uncle Iroh's office and then call him and maybe Aunt Kim or my mom can come to pick us up."

"Sounds like a plan. See you in about twenty minutes." as the two lovers left and left the two other girls for the first time.

They did gather things up and headed to the school tool shed where they kept supplies but then they ducked inside and Nita iced the door shut.

"So." Nita started looking at the ground.

"So." Ember also said looking at the ground.

Each took a deep breath and sorta half screamed. "I really like you but I didn't want to tell you I was a lesbian! What?!" as they stared at each other with wide open mouths in shock.

"You kidding me?!" Nita gawked at her.

"No, you gotta be kidding me! Did we both just confess we both have the hots for each other and we both are of the same sexuality?!" Ember asked in shock.

"I think we just did!"

"Have you um ever told anyone you know about it?" Ember asked in a tremulous voice and Nita shook her head no.

"No, no-one knows. Not my parents and neither do Katara and Sokka who are like my brother and sister, to be honest. Especially Katara as we're both Waterbenders. I feel like I could tell them everything...except this." Nita hung her head shamefully.

She waterbended her tears from falling her face and then looked at Ember. "What about you? Have you ever told your family?"

"Are you kidding me?! My family is descended from Fire Nation Royalty! Plus they just had a sociopath locked up and on death row! If they knew this I'd be locked up! This would be so against what is honorable behavior!

I don't know who I'm more afraid of finding out! My mother, my aunt, and uncle or think I just die if Zuko and Akiko find out!"

"Why Zuko and Akiko? I get your mother, uncle, and aunt but why them?"

"Are you not getting it?! They are just like the lovers from the most famous love story in all the Fire Nation! The Promise of the Fire Lily! A real-life Kazuo and Aiko! I really look up to them as my own big brother and sister! I can't ever do anything to disappoint either of them!" Ember confessed what she feared the most.

"But does that mean you don't like me?" Nita asked timidly and confused.

"Are you kidding me, Nita? Your everything I want!"

"And your everything I want, Ember!" and both girls suddenly couldn't help it and become involved in a romantic kiss that caused Ember to make the tiny shed get quite steamy.

"We have to keep this secret. Never let anyone find out we are girlfriends or we both be ostracized and disowned!" they agreed but from that day forth they were a couple.

So, on one hand, the city was clean of pollution on the hand two people were keeping a secret that they felt was dirty because they didn't even trust their own families with the truth.

So was the city really clean when you felt you had to hid who you were or who you loved? Why did the world have to be so judgmental when love was never a sin and all that matter was finding someone who made you happy? And now because of small minded people two girls had to keep a secret that they shouldn't have too.

It was all so unfair as the moonlight sparkled on the clean rivers of Republic City.


	6. Winter Holidays

Winter Holidays

It was now December and the year was drawing to a close. All the students of Avatar Wan High were looking forward to having the last two weeks of the month and of course New Year's free for vacation.

Each of the Four Nations had their own way of rejoicing around the time of the Winter Solstice or to ring in the New Year. However, it wasn't something even in recent times the four nations had ever participated with one another.

This year that would change. Team Avatar and their families would all be spending the wintertime celebrations at mountain estate that been in Zuko's Aunt Kim's family for generations.

He hadn't said much about in great detail other then most of it was kept extremely discrete deliberately because when Ozai was free he would've attempted to take it and all the 'hidden secrets" had he discovered exactly what they were.

Furthermore since no one would ever disremember about how Ozai and all his crimes ranging from abuse, blackmail to attempted murder, it was no surprise Kim's family hadn't desired him to know about a piece of property that was worth as Zuko and Akiko put it "Worth the cost of a kingdom's crown."

Therefore as they're currently in the band room practicing all talking about what they're going to do once they got there.

"It's gonna be so much fun when we get to Sundrop Valley! You'll see it's like a magically enchanted sovereignty! Trust me on that!" Zuko was talking with such passion about his Aunt's little hideaway. His eyes even the scarred one showed he remembering happier times then the diabolical times he'd been through.

'So you have been there before? Even if it's meant to be a secret?" Katara inquired as she and Akiko were putting the mikes away.

"Yes, Aunt Kim and our families did manage to sneak away a few rare times in the past at great risk to our lives. The last time was to celebrate Lu Ten getting into college." Akiko recollected brightly and then tried to repress her tears.

"We're sorry if this is getting uncomfortable..." Katara started to apologize when a new voice spoke up as the door to the band room opened up.

"No, Katara it's fine. It's no secret the whole family misses Lu Ten. In fact, Azula may have portrayed at that time she was totally apathetic and didn't care, but it _did, in fact, affect her."_ Ember spoke in a melancholy mood as she and Nita walked in together.

"Nita, how are you doing? What were you and Ember up too?"

"Well as we cruised here from the gym I was describing to her how I'm a master on snowmobiles and she's a proficient motocross rider. However, whenever we stay after school we like to test our physical abilities in the gym."

"So what was the competition and did Water Tribe kick Fire Nation butt or was it the other way around?" Sokka wanted to know and then had to rub his head as Suki hit him with her golden fan for his ill conduct.

"It's friendly competition and no we don't keep track of who wins or loses, Sokka," Nita laughed vivaciously. "Sorry, my foster big brother. All I and Ember care about is trying to do better than last time.

Therefore today we're running the obstacle course they've got set up in the gym and see if we could better our times on it is all. And don't let anyone know about this but we may or may not used our bending to add an extra obstacle," Nita cringed about it derelict.

"Nita!"

"Ember!"

"Sorry!"

"Well, you should be sorry as you know there no bending permitted on school grounds except for emergency! Uncle not gonna be pleased if you set the school on fire or something!" Zuko asserted sharply with crossed arms and stared down his cousin who looked ashamed.

"Sorry, Zuko. It won't happen again. I promise."

"I'm sorry too, Sokka and Katara. I promise I won't make the same mistake here. I don't want to be expelled either," Nita agreed in a teary voice.

"Well, no harm has been done...this time. But no more magic at school for either of you understood?" Sokka looked at the two girls in a big brother fashion and both nodded obediently.

"Okay, that's enough of both of you being the old brother here. They made an error and they get it. Now what I think we'd like to know how is everyone else doing with their own after-school pursuits before our parents come to take us home?" Akiko said she tried to calm down everyone.

"Yeah, where are my cousin and his lady of the night?" Toph asked in her straightforward way that really rubbed people the wrong way seeing how that got Aang enraged at her for that remark.

"Toph! Don't call Arianna "Lady of the Night!"

"Sorry, Twinkle Toes! But what nickname would you prefer? Because the only other I could think of was "Fancy Feet!" she shot back at the 14-year-old Avatar.

"If you really want to know what nickname I rather you call even though I don't want you to nickname her at all. "Fancy Feet" is far more acceptable.

Arianna just began to take dance classes for your information and Mom is helping her improve with playing the flute as she's very skilled at playing it herself. But please don't disrespect my family that took me all my life to find!"

"Okay, don't go all glowy on me and throw an Avatar temper tantrum! You know I do care about my cousin dating your sister and we both want them to be happy! Sheesh!"

"Okay about both of you stop the bickering and just find out where your family members are? Since that's what's actually relevant here?" Suki recommended to two quarreling teens.

"That would actually be the smart thing to do," Aang acknowledged.

"But of course brains never work when your upset. So Aang do you remember where your sister said she was gonna be while we're in here practicing?"

"I think she and Brock wanted to do more artwork in Mom's classroom. She told me something about wanting to make special gifts for the holiday."

"Brock also said something he needed to use the yearbook room later. Had to do something with his camera equipment."

"Well, why don't you two go find them and we will finish getting cleaned up here? We can handle things for that long." Katara reassured them.

"Okay, Sugar Queen, we'll go collected our relatives. C'mon Twinkle Toes!" as they departed the room.

"Should one of us go get Azula and her friends, Zuky?" Akiko asked as they left and he looked at her bewildered.

"Why are you asking me that?" his remaining eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Well, we know she's not 'the demon' anymore. I know we are still getting used to 'nice' Azula but we do know she's not a 'demon' anymore. She's been appreciating being part of the school drama club and Aunt Kim helping her with those violin lessons she wished Ozai hadn't made her quit as a kid."

"Yes, that has made Mom quite happy to know Azula did inherit her talent in acting and actually fancies one of the programs she did sign us up for as a child and it was Ozai that made her quit."

"Yes, and you've heard how remarkably she plays that violin and she now trying to teach Kiyi how to play it. It's really helping her in the long run bonding with your youngest sister.

I know Azula as child chopped off her dolls heads. Now she's playing dolls with Kiyi and doing tea parties with her. That's a big improvement."

"Yes, a lot of what Azula has done over the last several months shown she's made a lot of progress since getting away from Ozai and getting both psychological and spiritual treatment."

"So perhaps you should go see what is she doing? And check on her? Plus be a good big brother?" Akiko suggested to him with a certain look to her jade green eyes.

"Fine. I'll go find her and her friends. But you owe me!"

Zuko knew where to look as whenever they spent time after school his sister and her friends could be found in the school auditorium. So it wasn't any shock to find them there.

Mai was sitting on one edge of the stage with a faux raven quill pen writing in a black journal with a thorny red rose. Mai may've been a Goth and because of her upbringing may outwardly lack emotions. However inside? She had quite a lot to say in a highly dramatic way. With a rich use of vocabulary, inventive wordplay and quite detailed with how she composed it.

Akiko once described Mai's writing talents to be kindred to that of Edger Allen Poe and Stephan King. Which many would have to agree with once they read or heard her speak of her writing. Especially after last year talent showcase.

So while Mai was a Goth and part of the Lit Club, Ty Lee who was Azula's other friend? She was the complete opposite of Mai in terms of personality, talents and fighting style.

Again it was in the new registry every last detail of a person from DNA to what fighting style someone could do. Mai had developed a second talent to battle her boredom and her controlling mother.

Mai had perfect aim and could hit anything with knives or other such objects and developed this talent over the years as she had with her writing. While Ty Lee had developed her talents purely to separate herself from her six identical sisters.

Ty Lee desired a sense of individually because she had not wanted to be part as she put it 'a matching set' so she had trained herself to be a top acrobat to point she could walk on her hands. She also had learned the ancient art of chi blocking to deal with people who 'annoyed' her and give her a sense of empowerment and she was 'different.

At school, she was just seen as the Head of the Cheerleading Squad or part of the "Mean Girl" clique even if they'd tried to change that. Which was part of the reasons the three girls had turned to online dating which again Ursa wasn't happy about them doing it at their age and behind their parents' back?

Right now Ty Lee was just walking on her hands across the stage just for the fun of it and seemed to be her bubbly happy self.

Zuko didn't see his sister when he arrived so he cleared his throat and both girls looked up.

"Oh, Zuko! What brings you here? We thought you still be rehearsing with your band?" as Ty Lee righted herself.

"Are you looking for some disheartening verses for a song instead of happy? Be more than happy to write you a dark and depressing ballad instead of a pleasant one," Mai offered from her corner of the stage.

"Actually Akiko wanted me to check on you three as it's getting close to the time to go home and said I needed to be a 'good big brother" and check on Azula. So where is she?"

"She said she needs a moment alone in the 'powder room" Ty Lee pointed towards the dressing room and Zuko went in that direction and knocked on the door with a light under it.

"Go away!" yelled an irritable voice.

"Azula, it's me."

"Go away, Zu-Zu!"

"Azula, what's going on in there?"

"I'm getting dressed that's what! It's just aah!" he was hearing sounds he couldn't understand and instinctively he bust down the door and he found his sister not only fully clothed but with a bottle of pills and he looked at her in disbelief.

"Azula?! What the?!"

"It's not what you think, Zuko!" she tried to explain as she tried to pick up the scattered pills but he grabbed them all and took the bottle from her hand and looked at her furiously.

"I can't believe it! After all, we've done to get you help for half a year! You turn to narcotics! I'm absolutely ashamed of you! I mean how could you do that especially to both Mom and Kiyi?!"

"It's not drugs! At least not the kind of drugs you do to get high! I'm not a user, Zuko! I'm just afraid to take my brand-new meds is all!"

"What?!"

"Look at the bottle!"

Looking at the yellowish bottle he saw it was bottle by Azula's psychiatrist for a prescription for a drug called "Prozac" Azula looked absolutely ashamed was actually crying.

"Do you realize what it means that I've to be medicated to be 'normal', Zuko? That even all the treatment I've undergone isn't enough to vanquish the demon in me?

That I've to start taking meds from now on and the rest my life just so that demon doesn't return!

So sinister Azula doesn't come back and I go back to be like _him! That if I don't take this medication I'll go back to being a Demon and the daughter of Death!"_ she was really crying.

"You are really ashamed of your past aren't you, Azula?" he asked in surprise and she didn't even look him in the eye and just said.

"No one ever overlooks the past and no one gives you a second chance. One judgment is all you get. They will forever remember me as Azula the Demon. Doesn't matter how hard I've fought to reform and convert myself.

I can tell even the family isn't completely convinced I've turned myself around. Even you and Akiko still judge me! Don't think I don't know it! And now we are going to spend the winter holidays with all your friends and my friends and how judgmental are they all gone be then?!

Especially when they find out I was just put on pills?!" she demanded fiercely to her brother as she again looked at her new medication with such venom.

"You just want a fair and honest chance to prove you've changed. That your not who you used to be. That's all your asking for."

"Yes."

"Well, that's not too much to ask for Azula. Everyone deserves a fair and honest chance to show their better half without being judged by past actions."

"That's awful strange coming from you, Zu-Zu."

"Look, Azula, despite everything else you are still my sister. No matter how messed up everything been in our lives and how bad you were in the past at the end of the day you are still my sister and nothing will change that.

And family is supposed to look out and love each other no matter how to pardon my next words but no matter how fucked up or how much shit gone on a family is suppose to take care of each other and love one despite it all."

"Well, no one cares for Ozai."

"Because he wasn't human and didn't even know what it meant to be human or knew the meaning of the word family. Azula you have worked your butt off trying to get better.

My friend Aang once told me that its easy to do nothing and hate someone. It's a lot harder to change and forgive them. So when given a second chance always take it."

"Well, I was given a second chance. I might as well take it no matter how uncertain and unpleasant that road will be."

"At least you don't have to walk it alone. And if you have to take meds so what? Millions of people take medication, Azula. It's nothing to be ashamed of. I know we all hate labels, stereotypes, and stigma but we have to rise above it."

"Well, I never thought I live to see the day I actually cared you were my big brother and were doing the big brother thing. Still just don't tell anyone about my medication, okay?"

"Fine. Now let's get your stuff together we have to go home soon and get to packing if we are going to Sundrop Valley."

"Sundrop Valley, it's been so long. I do actually have a secret fond memory of that place I never shared with anyone before."

"Do you wish to tell me?"

"Well, don't tell anyone. But it was the only place I would still practice the violin after Ozai made me quit when we're children. Lu Ten smuggled me one and help me practice in secret when we made secret trips out there," she paused to grieve for a moment.

"Wish I had properly mourned him and told him " thank you". He always said if anything happens to him he leaves all his loved ones something special.

I know he left you that motorcycle, Akiko her diary and Ember her motocross bike. But it doesn't seem he left me anything. It hurts I was left out and I guess I deserve for the old me."

"I don't think Lu Ten would've left you out even if you had behaved badly before Azula. I'm sure we just haven't found your gift yet."

"Ha! Well if we haven't found it in the seven years since his death I doubt it exists or if it does we will ever find it!" still at that moment they both for the first time just comforted each other in a hug and soon rendezvoused with the others to go home.

One by one the families were preparing for vacation and one by one they're having their own troubles preparing for it. At the Air Nomad residence it wasn't just packing it was Aang and Arianna were more or less wanting to fly on Appa to the mountain.

"Come on, Mom! Momo has fully reverted to a proper flying lemur! And Appa looks like a flying bison again and he's growing each day! I'm sure he'll be big and strong enough by the time of vacation we can travel like true Air Nomads!"

"Aang, honey, we are lucky the building is supporting Appa's increasing mass and weight! Moreover, I'm not saying he isn't the size of a half-grown sky bison like most of the animals are at least partially transformed back to their original heterogeneous forms.

However, even if his travel size and ready by the trip _you'll not be the driving him. You are still too young to be flying a sky bison, young man."_ she informed him as she was occupied trying to pack his suitcase for him which he wasn't doing because he'd been nagging her about this all month.

"What?! But Mom! _He's my bison! I'm the Avatar I should get to fly him!"_ he sulked in protest.

"No arguing with your mother, Aang. Your still too young and inexperienced and despite being chosen to be the Avatar you are still just a 14-year-old child. Now you can join your sister in getting the laundry folded so we can the clothes finished packed," his father admonished him from the doorway.

Aang turned brick red and nodded, "Yes, Dad. Anything else I have to do?"

"After the laundry, you can get the supplies for the animals and Arianna shall get the items we use to celebrate the holidays. Now no more whining or you won't get dessert for a week. Understood?"

"Yes, Dad. Understood. Ari! I'm coming!" and he bolted leaving his parents alone in his room.

"Honey could you airbend his room into order for me?" she asked nonchalantly as she was still folding things on his bed.

"As you wish my dear," as he used airbending to clean up the room skillfully in five minutes.

"Thank you. I'll cut him some slack for not cleaning this week given everyone is so busy studying for finals and the winter holidays. Tell me what's your opinion on Aang's skills on his own walls?" she gestured to the walls and ceiling.

"Well, he sure doesn't lack in talent. He's clearly a highly gifted painter. One of the best I've seen. The four walls each represent the four nations and his friends quite well and the ceiling celebrating harmony and unity between them all it's quite amazing as well."

"I've noticed at his easel he does quite a lot of painting. A lot of Katara his primary muse of course. Love often is. Nevertheless, we do see his other interest throughout the room as well."

"Well, I've seen a lot of what our daughter into in her room. Her room is plentiful with all pottery she's done, wind chimes, stickers of birds, posters to do with arts and she has her place to practice her flute."

"I'm ecstatic that our family has made this place a home. Furthermore, I hope this vacation brings us closer."

"Me too."

In the Water Tribe side of town, they're a buzz for it wasn't just gonna be the Winter Solstice or Katara's sixteenth birthday. There was gonna be a Blue Moon Ball this holiday.

As anyone should know a blue moon is two full moons in one month. For the Water Tribe when that happened they threw a ball because they felt the Moon Spirit was giving them an extra blessing and blessing their Waterbenders with extra power.

Both Katara and Nita were excited for the ball which of course meant lavish gowns and getting to perform their waterbending to everyone on the second full moon in one month.

Consequently, that meant they had to be at the top of their game. Thus Katara's Gran-Gran was making her dress and Nita's mother was making her dress and they couldn't wait to share this all with everyone when they got to Sundrop Valley.

"Aren't you excited, Nita?! The First Blue Moon Ball since the Lost Age disappeared! And we get to be the stars!"

"Yes, it's super exciting! I've been working so hard to master my waterbending for the performance!"

"And I can't wait till we get to dance under the light of the blue moon! Zuko did confirm they do have a frozen lake up there and we can double thicken the ice. So we can all dance the night away under the moonlight on the lake."

"It will all be so magical. The ball on the lake with the ice sculptures, candlelight, and music. It will all be so awesome!"

"Of course for you ladies, you'll be happy to do your magic water! I'll at least get to show off some of our time-honored warrior traditions and tell some of our stories around the fire," Sokka snuck up on them.

"Don't you ever knock, Sokka?" Katara jumped up with hands on her hip.

"Hey, we are our own house! And don't think this is all about you! I get to have my fun too!"

"Don't you two start fighting and ruining everything before we get there! I don't need the two people who are like my big brother and sister fighting when I'm already worried enough as it is!" snapped Nita annoyed with the both of them.

The two siblings looked at her peculiarly a little surprised by what she said. "Care to repeat what you just said?" Sokka asked showing he wasn't sure he heard her right.

"What part didn't you get Boomerang Boy? The part where I'm apprehensive about the Blue Moon Ball or the fact you two are the closest thing I got to siblings since my mom had to have a hysterectomy when I was five because of an ectopic pregnancy she nearly died from?" she shot back at them as she played apprehensively with her dyed braids now.

"What?! Your mom nearly died?" Katara asked stunned completely oblivious of this.

"Yeah, her right tube ruptured due to the ectopic pregnancy. My parents hadn't told anyone yet about it as they wanted to keep it a surprise a little longer at that point but then never told anyone because it almost cost Mom her life.

After the tube burst, she lost so much blood and there was so much damage they ended up removing everything to save her life. So I never could have a sibling because of that. You two should be grateful you have each other!" she snapped at them as if they being stupid for arguing ever.

"Nita we never knew." Katara went to hug her and Nita brushed her off.

"Course you didn't. It was a family secret for years and your two are only the second ones I told. The only other person I told this too was Ember. Just don't let it get around.

When my parents are ready to talk about it they'll take about it. And when I feel like sharing it with everyone I will. But till that time it's just between you guys and Ember. Okay?"

"Okay agreed."

"Okay. Now let's get back to packing!"

While Toph and Brock's parents may still not have gotten the message completely that they needed to change even with a lot of swift kicks in the rear seeing how they're having the servants were packing for them.

The four adult Beifongs were still on their high pompous horses and not realizing they needed to come down and stop being Brahmins. All there snootiness was getting them people turning away from and their kids pushing further away and not making them any real friends.

That's why Toph and Brock were being helped back by their true friends among the servants whom themselves didn't view themselves as servants rather friends.

"So Brock you want both your digital camera and laptop but one of the classical cameras brought along too?" Gem was asking him for clarification as she was packing a gray suitcase with protective foam.

"Yeah, I'll need my best photography equipment if I'm gonna be taking landscape photos. I'm also packing my digital recorder as I want to capture the sounds of nature to make a meditation CD for Ari's family to listen too."

"Well, aren't you thoughtful?"

"What about me? Ain't I ever thoughtful Gem?" Toph asked as she came in with Rosy behind her carrying several dawn-tinted cartons with lilac-purple bows that gave off a delightful aroma.

"What's in there?" Brock asked as he was smelling something delightfully sweet.

"Well, Brock, Toph asked me to dig out my recipe books something extra delicious for everyone to eat. So this is my family secret recipe for chocolate dip." Rosy explain and Toph flashed a grin.

"We just spent _hours dipping everything we possibly could in her family secret chocolate recipe."_

"Now that's what I like about the holidays! The food and the treats!" Gem couldn't help but laugh and added. "We may have great parties and all but if the food and drinks are bad what fun is the party?"

"Too true, Gem!"

"Well, let's hope our silly parents don't mind all these treats! Not after we spent a day and a half doing all this hard work on them!" Toph sighed in an exaggerated sigh.

"Don't worry, Toph, they won't. We will make sure of it."

By the time the school year ended for the year and everyone was packed and making their way to Sundrop Valley everyone was a bundle of jittery nerves of excitement. Most did drive their cars, Beifongs had their stupid limo and well at least for Aang's family Appa had grown enough for him to ride him but it was Gyasto doing the driving much to the children disappointment.

They were going deep into the mountains quite far from the city. Till they came to a magnificent valley in the mountain. Once glance from all the guests and they could see why this place was kept one off the grid and the family did it's best to keep Ozai far away from it.

 _When they said Sundrop Valley was the size of a small country they weren't kidding. It was enormous!_

The valley was contained within tall rocky mountains and within the valley itself was a luxuriant forest of trees encompassing an enormous shimmering lake, there were some hot springs out to the west and in the heart of it all, you could see what appeared to be a small palace.

"How in the world did you keep this sanctuary from burning down by Ozai?" Aang first question to Zuko was as they started to descend into the Valley.

"A lot of luck and a whole lot more praying!"

"It's so beautiful! It's like something out of a dream!" was more or less being repeated by everyone in various ways as they got to the main house and could see other buildings nearby.

"Well, home sweet home. Nice to be back after so long, isn't it Iroh?" Kim asked as they opened the door to her old home.

"Yes, my butterfly it is," he agreed as they all began to enter the main house and everyone was shocked again by the magnificence and brilliance of the inside of this small palace.

"Kim you must tell us sometime during our stay here how your family manages to acquire this small sanctuary!" Akanke spoke in awe as she was gazing at the beautiful architecture.

"Yes, please do spin us that tale sometime. I'd love to hear it!" Kameko agreed as she tried to rein in a few her dogs. "I'm sorry, I couldn't leave them alone at home. I had to bring this family of five. A mated pair and their three pups. They're too young to trust to others care!"

"There no need to apologize, Kameko. Nurita can you show both Kameko and Akanke the barn where they can keep their animals, during their stay?"

"Sure I can do that. Come on ladies, follow me. The barn is extremely well built. They'll be warm and toasty in there. The elements won't get them and we'll make sure they're well taken care of during their time here."

So Nurita left the main entrance to help Kameko and Akanke get the dogs and Appa settle while some other business was taken care first and foremost. Piandao who get a look from Xiaoying who was busy with their baby got the hint.

"Alright, children everyone gathers around," he called and all the kids gathered around and he held out his hands. "Everyone hand over all your weapons. All of them. There are no weapons in this household. So got any hand them over now," he told them. And very reluctantly all weapons from Sokka's boomerang and black sword to all of Mai's knives were then collected from their owners.

After that, they're frisked to make sure no one was holding back. Once they're satisfied all the weapons had been confiscated Piandao left to go where obviously a secret weapons vault was kept to make sure they did no harm during the vacation.

But that wasn't the end of it. The rules of the house were laid out for everyone and the top rule was absolutely no bending indoors. Only outside and again nothing destructive at all.

The rules of the house were what you expected. Treat everyone with respect. Keep it clean. No fighting. Don't go places you're not allowed. No invading other privacy and no funny business of any kind. Then everyone was given their bunking assignments and went to settle down for the night.

"At least it's not too bad our bunking together, is it?" Katara asked Akiko later that night.

"No, I don't mind sharing a room with you and Suki. We may have to take turns in the bathroom but other than that it's not a big deal. At least the kids get one wing of the house to themselves.

So it's we got this room. Then it's Azula with her friends in the room to our right and it's Nita, Ember, and Arianna in the room to our left. Across from us, it's Zuko and Aang and to their right, it's Sokka and Brock. To their left, it's Kiyi and Xiang."

"Then the adults are in the other wings sleeping with their spouses. Well, my dad's a widow so he's bunking with Gran-Gran and Gramp-Gramp."

"Ain't nothing wrong with that. So I can't wait to see how we all celebrate out traditions starting tomorrow. Tomorrow we light the first candle of the Flame of Rebirth and start preparing for Day of the Dead!"

"And we get ready to celebrate both my birthday, the Winter Solstice and the Blue Moon Ball!"

"And how about you two shut off the lights and get some sleep?" Suki asked with her face in a facial mask and not Kyoshi Warrior makeup.

"Okay! Going to sleep!"

The next day it was easy to see what the Water Tribe and Fire Nation were doing as the Winter Solstice was approaching.

The women were busying themselves with making a great feast of some kind. The children were busy making small gifts and trinkets and the men seemed to be making some type of altar.

The Water Tribe were outside decorating the lake to resemble the South Pole. Katara and Nita were busy making beautiful ice sculptures while Gran-Gran and Kameko continued with making extravagant gowns for Katara and Nita.

Wanting to fully understand the other family started to ask what was going on. Aang's family was watching Katara's family working on what they're doing outside entrance by it all.

"Well, Aang," Katara was telling him as she was busy waterbending up another ice sculpture "the Winter Solstice is our most spiritual day. And again it's my birthday. As anyone will tell you the solstice is when the spirit world and human world are one."

"Yes, we know, Katara, each nation has one day out of the year that is most spiritual to them. The day their seasons is welcome to the world and children born on that day are said to be blessed in ways unforeseen.

Like how my son Aang is a Fall Equinox child which is the Air Nomads most spiritual day as fall is our season. And it too is when there heighten spiritual activity due to the seasons changing.

You are spiritual day is the shortest day of the year but also the first official day of winter. So I'm guessing for the Water Tribe it's a great day to celebrate all that makes the Water Tribe the Water Tribe?" Akanke surmised as Katara finished making the ice sculpture.

"Yes, we celebrate the day by telling stories of our ancestors, exchanging gifts, dancing under the light of the moon and when they're Waterbenders they tell the history of how the Moon taught us to bend through Waterbending. The story of the Moon and Ocean."

"But what is this Blue Moon Ball which Nita mention to us the other night?" Arianna asked shivering as she tried warm up.

"It's a special ball only held when there is a blue moon. Full moons are when the Water Tribe and its benders are at their strongest. So we consider the Moon is giving us an extra blessing when there a blue moon.

So we have a grand ball when there a blue moon. Only we don't hold it inside. Everyone wears their finest clothes and dances outside under the stars and the blue moon. But the Waterbenders have to perform the Blue Moon Dance to open Ball.

It's really tricky and only the most skilled waterbenders can do it so that's why the Blue Moon Ball is so important. And why it's really important Nita and I don't mess this up. As this one is the first one since the Lost Age has returned!"

"Are any of us welcomed at this ball?" Aang asked apprehensively.

"Of course everyone is welcomed! That's the whole point of this vacation!"

"Well, we wish you luck with your party, Katara."

"Thank you Gyasto. Is there anything you guys do to usher in the winter holidays?"

"We shall reveal that when the time is right. We need to get inside before my daughter gets a cold. See you later young one," as Gyasto usher his family back inside before they froze.

Inside the Beifongs were being explained the concept of the Day of the Dead from the whole Fire Nation family.

The traditions of the Day of the Dead they're explaining to the rich Earth Kingdom family are very different from how they hold their Summer Solstice celebration.

For one thing, everyone has a special golden phoenix candlestick. It's a phoenix pointed skyward with a candle on each of its wingtips and the final candle on its beak. This is called the Flame of Rebirth.

For just as the Phoenix is forever reborn from the ashes their loved ones truly live on forever in their hearts. So as longs as you carry their memory and love in your hearts they will live on forever just as the Phoenix does.

There are seven candles on the Flame of Rebirth and during the week approaching the day of the dead you light one every night and light the final one on the beak on the day of the Winter Solstice itself. All the candles must be kept burning till the Solstice is over.

This is to honor your departed loved ones, to show they're welcomed into your home and to help them find their way back to the spirit world.

They also had special incense sticks with a special smoke meant to ward off evil or dark spirits that might come trespassing or follow their loved ones who come for a visit and drag the living into the spirit world.

For Day of the Dead is for both the living and dead. Families will go to the cemeteries where their loved ones are laid to rest to clean them up and make them look new. Then spend hours telling their loved ones what they've been missing.

Then there is a large banquet held where half the food is left for the dead as are all the gifts made in offering to them.

So it's still a somber occasion but meant to be a happy one as well. For you're meant to remember the good times and know you're loved ones are happy and to honor them still.

The Fire Nation family wasn't sure if the Beifongs were interested or not with how they celebrate this time of year or not. At least Toph and Brock showed they cared and offered to help in any way they could.

"So, does your family do ANYTHING for the winter holidays AT ALL?" Akiko was asking Toph and Brock as she, Zuko and Ember were finishing making gifts for their departed loved ones.

"Not really no," Toph replied disappointingly as she handed wrapping paper to Ember.

"Then what do you guys do? Do you rejoice anything?" asked Ember as she was busy wrapping the present she was gonna give her father the actual Day of the Dead.

"All our parents care about at the holidays is showboating how much money they've made in a year and well hosting extravagant but insignificant parties with the kind of people you only know for their pocketbooks but aren't real friends," Brock replied as he then picked up his camera.

"Mind if I take some pictures of your family customs? Like this Flame of Rebirth?"

"No, we don't mind at all. Who knows you may catch a spirit in the shot!" joshed Zuko playfully.

"If it's a bad spirit we'll need the banishing sticks, I better go get them!" laughed Akiko as she did leave to go get the incense sticks.

Brock was ignoring them as he tried to capture the whole fireplace where Flame of Rebirth sat on the mantel. He was also trying to include the large oil painting of Iroh and Kim holding a newborn Lu Ten.

It was gonna be a perfect shot when someone or _something ruined it._ He'd everything perfect and snapped the shot but when he looked at the shot later that night on his laptop with other photos he had taken so far he notices something was wrong.

He remembered clearly nothing had been in the shot when he'd taken it and yet clear as day standing by the Flame Rebirth was an individual. A young man looked to be in his early 20s dressed in royal purple and an imperial red. His long black hair was tied back in a neat ponytail and his face was strikingly familiar but he couldn't place him.

Brock didn't want to show the photo to anyone or say it aloud what he was seeing so he didn't say anything. Though he thought it wouldn't hurt to do a little more digging if he had too at a later time.

The day after the strange photo everyone took time away from preparing for their respective parties and went to the hot springs which were natural hot spring so very warm even in the cold dead of winter.

"I think this is an excellent time for all of us as we all feeling calm and tranquil to do as the Air Nomads do each year which is cleanse the mind, body, and spirit of all negative energy and renew it with positive energy," Akanke announced as she sighed in ecstasy and leaned against her husband.

"Whatever do you mean by that, Akanke?" Rowena asked her narrowed eyed. She and the rest of the Beifongs still weren't exactly happy in the company of these "plebeians"

"We only wish to help you through some simple meditation and cleansing rituals that our people have done annually for centuries. We simply put renew our spirits by cleansing them of all negativity energy from the previous year and start over anew each year," she explained respectfully.

"It's rather simple and easy. Trust us you'll feel like you lost so much baggage you'll feel a lot younger too!" Arianna expressed from her mother's side.

"Really all we have to do is a few simple things and your energy and space you live in will be so much better. We can teach you all to unblock your chakras which I can handle later tonight.

My wife will explain the other half of what she finds useful for cleansing. Trust us you'll find yourself and your home so much more free of negative energy." Gyasto assured them.

"We would welcome any traditions into our home as this vacation here is for all traditions and customs to be shared. Let's give it try after lunch," Iroh suggested.

"Thank you, Iroh."

"Welcome Gyasto."

Well not everyone did so well when it came to releasing their chakras that were for sure even though it was patiently explained to all of them. There was more success among the children then the adults that were for sure.

Akanke then told them how best to cleanse both themselves and their homes which she began to demonstrate throughout the Iroh and Kim's vacation home.

She simply said doing things such as smudging, ringing chimes, taking salt baths, finding the right crystals, cut the cords of your past, visualize positive energy and using certain oils would do you all wonders.

So far the only family not to try and participate or give anything for this vacation was the Beifongs, and to be honest it was disappointing both Toph and Brock they had nothing to offer.

"It really burns me a lot that all they care about is lipstick, money, and reputation! God! They are still treating you all like your some dog who rolled in the mud!" grumbled Brock to Arianna as she practices her flute in her room.

"Well, none of us really like the frosty wind they give off no. They clearly don't like the company you keep. And no they aren't trying to change themselves or make an effort to try and get along.

At least Zuko's sister Azula and her friends have changed. In fact, Azula's suppose to join me in half an hour. I was gonna meet her and Aang by that grand piano down in the main living room.

Aang knows how to play a keytar so he also knows piano. So we along with Zuko, Akiko and Azula were going to do a little musical show for our families. They said it would honor their departed loved ones if we played music for them."

"Can I take pictures or record you? I want to really make that meditation music for your family. I already recorded the Water Tribe music and tribal songs that Katara and Nita's families were doing outside as they continued to practice.

Also Suki, Ty Lee and Mai who were soaking in the hot springs again already either sang their favorite song or in Mai's case read one of her poems for me to record."

"Sounds fine to me. Um, where's Toph? She's not getting into trouble is she?"

"She said something about wanting to wrestle. I think she took Rocky to the barn to challenge Kameko's polar dogs and Appa."

"Okay, well, let's get packed up here so we can go downstairs and get to our little music recital," she replied then kissed his cheek.

The small concert was wonderful for the families as Zuko did a very good job with the Tsungi horn and Akiko the pipa. It was a very beautiful performance but again one Brock found strange both with his pictures and his recordings.

This time he couldn't ignore it so he asked the others to come to the room he was staying in too look at the photos he took and listen to the recordings.

"Okay, I didn't want to ruin the holiday festivals but I think their ghosts in this house!" he exclaimed and they looked at him strangely. "Really! Look here us a few days ago wrapping your Day of the Dead presents and I took the photo of the Flame of Rebirth when only one candle was lit.

Tell me you see what I see!" as he pulled it up and there was a great intake of breath on the Fire Nation kids part.

"So," Aang started, "I'm guessing you know who that is wandering around your Aunt's vacation home?"

"It's his home too!" Ember blurted out starting to hyperventilate and Akiko had to hug her tightly. "Breath! Ember take a deep breath! And breath! In and out, come on!"

"Okay! Calming down."

"So who is it?" Brock wanted to know curiously.

"That's our cousin, Lu Ten! That exactly how he looked before that drunk killed him!" Azula shouted in surprise at seeing the photo.

"That's LU TEN?!"

"YES!" all of the Fire Nation kids said in unison.

"Well, if that's Lu Ten then maybe you can tell me who the other people are in the living room? I was taking a lot of pictures but they were all around you guys during the whole musical recital!" as he pulled up more photographs.

And more people showed up and they looked clearly alive even though they hadn't been there when the photos been taken. Looking closely next to their mother Ursa was an old woman and man.

Standing next to the love seat where Nurita and Ember had been sitting was a man long salt and pepper hair and a goatee and smiling with a proud smile near Akiko was a woman who looked virtually identical to her and again Lu Ten was by the Flame of Rebirth that was almost fully lit now.

"Um, those are our grandparents next to our mom. We never met them but she did sneak us some photos," Zuko's mouth was dry.

"That's my biological mother Sakiko next to me!" Akiko exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

"And that's my father Hisoka!" Ember exclaimed her voice choked with emotion.

"Does all of this have to do with your Day of the Dead?" Arianna wanted to know as she looked at the photograph on her boyfriend computer.

"I don't have any other explanation than that myself, Ari. Considering all these voices I capture. Pretty strong EVPS or Electronic Voice Phenomenon. Yes, I've seen ghost hunting shows!" as he played back the recording and they heard overlapping voices having a conversation going on between the ghosts in the room with the ones who were alive.

But Azula then shouted, "Wait! Can you isolate the voices? To make sense what they are saying?"

"I can try. Give me a little bit of time though. I might need a day to figure it out." Brock confessed honestly.

"See if you can do that and we will keep this to ourselves," Azula looked at everyone and they did keep their mouths shut.

The next day was the winter solstice itself and they did first off spending the morning celebrating Katara's 16th birthday and agreeing they'd have both the Water Tribe and Fire Nation celebrations tonight and then in 3 days the Blue Moon Ball.

"So, Aang what do you think? I'm a real Waterbender now! Isn't it beautiful?!" as she was showing him the traditional water skin she'd been given for her birthday.

It was so beautiful made of exquisite cerulean satin with gold trim and decorated with dazzling sapphires. It sure was something to treasure and must have made her feel as connected to her culture as his glider did his. Just like it really was truly the Lost Age.

"It's so beautiful just like you are Katara. Really an authentic part of your culture now forever truly marking you as Waterbender. I'm sure your mother be really proud of you."

"I know she is, Aang. But if you think this is cool wait till you see my Blue Moon Ballgown! I can't wait till we dance! You haven't lived till you dance under the light of a blue moon!" as she squealed with delight and took off running.

"Is there something I should know about dancing at a ball or something Sokka?" Aang asked who gave him a sardonic grin.

"Don't stand her up or make her mad or everyone will be on thin ice literally! I need to go make sure Gran-Gran at least made my own Blue Moon Ball outfit manly enough for me.

I don't want Suki to not see me as a Warrior and Chief to be. After all, if this was still truly the Lost Age in every way I'd be next in line to be Chief. Need to look the part. Good luck!" as with that he went off humming the waltz.

"Don't worry too much about it, Aang. No-one cracked the ice and drowned in the history of the Blue Moon Ball. But then again it's an oral history so they may not just speak of it," Nita giggled nervously.

"Nita you are needed in wardrobe. I can't finish your gown if you're not here for your fitting!" called her mother.

"Gotta go!"

"Well, I'm not really up for any fancy schmancy party myself. I'm more into hearing what 's going on in that old mine that Kim and her sister think they can hide from me," Toph whispered from behind Aang.

"What?! What mine?"

"The one the property still loaded with gold, gemstones and a boatload of other shiny things that I'm sure they didn't want Mr. I got my flaming butt kicked to know about. I've been feeling it with my seismic sense ever since we got here.

I may nearly get frostbite on my toes but I've been able to pinpoint it and I've even further development my seismic sense to tell me what kind of earth and metals are inside there."

"Well, Toph, please don't blab the secret of our family secret to anyone, if you be so kind?" as Kim came up behind them and both Aang and Toph looked at her.

She shook her head and smiled amusingly. "Should've at least guessed the world's greatest earthbender would've guessed the secret of Sundrop Valley," sighing she bent down and whispered to them the story.

"My great-great-grandparents Quinnarious and Skyrian or as their nicknames were Quinn and Sky weren't what we would call "Traditional' Fire Nation. They didn't want to be part of the municipalities, army, bureaucracy or corruption of any shape or form.

They left society and went back to nature. They wish to get back in touch with their spirits and souls and find peace and harmony with life. Eventually, the discovered this Valley untouched by the rest of the world.

It became their lifework to protect what became a sanctuary to all life creation. And yes they discovered the mountains held a treasure trove. They did use part of it to legally buy the land.

But the real treasure here is the beauty and life within this valley which is a sanctuary to one and all who seek it. It for the soul and life not for greed or anything like that. So my family has kept it protected for years and will continue to do that."

"Are you asking Team Avatar to help you protect this Valley?" Aang wanted to know and she looked at him.

"If you all past certain test and I know I can fully trust you then yes. You've done well so far but I'll let you all know later. Trust me you kids have proven a lot so far but Iroh and I need to test you more before we can fully trust you to protect Sundrop Valley.

But for now, don't let anyone know part of this vacation has been a test. Okay?"

"We won't."

"Good. Now I must help finish the altar for tonight and you better get ready for also celebrating for the Water Tribe half of the night."

After this conversation, Aang went to join the others from yesterday to see if Brock made any progress figuring out what the ghost was trying to say. He'd made a lot of progress and finally was able to sort out some of it.

Most of the conversation was what you expect from your departed loved ones if they're still alive. Normal talking and them speaking to you if they're alive. Saying they are proud and happy and miss you.

But it was Lu Ten's comment that caught them all off guard. Mostly because it didn't join the rest of the conversation.

What he said was "I've to make sure she gets it. Can't let her think I didn't care."

"What was that comment about? What's he talking about? Make sure who gets what? Who does he want to make sure he knows he cares?" Brock asked and then to his surprise one by one all Zuko, Akiko and Ember all looked at Azula.

"Me? Why you looking at me?!" she demanded and Zuko said to her. "You were just saying you didn't believe Lu Ten left you anything and were upset you didn't show him you missed him when he died."

"Yeah seems to me from his comment he did leave you a gift and he wants to make sure you finally get it," Akiko pointed out sensibly.

"Lu Ten didn't care about me! You all got your gifts and he didn't leave one for me because well you know why!"

"Azula, Lu Ten knew what Ozai was doing to you and he knew deep down you were a good person. Despite it all, he wouldn't have excluded you from having one last gift. You know Lu Ten wasn't one to play favorites. He always made sure everyone had a gift every year no matter what."

"Then why did you all find yours right after he died and Uncle and Aunt Kim looked everywhere in their manor and never found my last gift?"

"Maybe your gift wasn't at the manor...maybe he left it here and never got it back home so he could leave it to you!" exclaimed Aang an in moment of insight.

"You really think that's what is his ghost doing here? Unfinished business or not just here because it's Day of the Dead?" Arianna asks her brother who shrugged.

"Could be both, sis. But maybe I can ask him directly, I am the Avatar the bridge between worlds. Maybe I can just ask him what he means and if he did leave Azula something."

"You've never crossed over before and you've been trying for weeks, little brother!"

"Well, it's the solstice maybe I'll have better luck."

"Okay, but let's find a less crowded spot to try!"

It didn't take long for all of them to find a spiritual spot and for all the other children to be filled in about the ghosts on the property.

They found an old rock carving near the edge of the forest that they assume was carved by Kim's great-great-grandparents to honor the spirits of the valley. Everyone was still in their winter clothes and freezing their butts off but still wanted to know this would work.

Aang airbended to the top of the bear carving head took a deep breath and tried to meditate. While no one was sure what would happen if anything or if this would even work they all fell to the ground when his tattoos lit up brightly.

"Okay, my little brother is in the Spirit World. Please don't tell my parents if we can't get him back to his body since he's never done this before!" Arianna pleaded with them.

Aang found himself in a very strange place that looked a well-manicured garden surrounded by walls of bamboo.

"Okay, Aang, you are obviously not in the human world anymore. You're in the spirit world. Okay, no pressure. Except you have no idea what you're doing! Or how to get back to your body! Oh, why did I think this be a good idea?! Oh, Mom gonna kill me!"

Someone laughed behind him and said, "Your mother is not gonna kill you, young Avatar. You're trying to do a friend's sister a favor. And the Avatar must help all people. Sometimes with big problems and sometimes with small things," he whipped around and saw a woman who looked like Akiko only older with hair in a tight hair bun and dressed differently.

"Who are you?"

"Sakiko. Akiko's mom. I was visiting the house as it's Day of the Dead. It's when can return to visit our loved ones. The whole family was visiting. Didn't know there were other ways for people to see spirits.

But the world's changed since the Lost Age disappeared and now reappeared hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has. Two different worlds have become one. Just like they do at the Solstice. I'm looking for someone named Lu Ten?"

"Iroh's son. Zuko, Azula and Ember's cousin, and Akiko's brother. He's waiting for you at the turtleduck pond. Follow the cherry blossom trees and this path and you'll find him."

"Okay thanks." trying to act like everything cool he did as Akiko's late mother said and eventually came to turtleduck pond where the young man from the photo was waiting for him.

'Ah, young Avatar we meet at last. Was wondering what I have to do to get your attention. All the people in the house and it takes an Earthbender with a camera to get your attention?"

"Sorry, still kinda of new and learning all this Avatar stuff. So I'm Aang. A friend of your cousin Zuko and also Akiko."

"Yeah, I know that. But it's not them I need you for. It's my other cousin Azula."

"What about her?"

Lu Ten sighed and looked back at the squawking turtleducks. "Look, I'm not gonna kid. I know Azula was at one point a demon, I also know she wouldn't have been like that if Ozai hadn't abused her and made her that way.

He hurt her like he hurt everyone else. So I know she may have felt nothing about me dying on the surface but in her true heart and soul? She was crying as much as the rest of them.

And she's been feeling like for last seven years I didn't leave her anything. I did. Just like I left gifts for all my family. I didn't know I was gonna die but I always had one last gift on hand just in case. Azula's last gift wasn't at the house. I forget it here at Sundrop Valley."

"Why would it be here at all? What is it?"

"Tell her she'll find it in the old workshop. Locked in the antique cabinet. Tell her when she finds it that tonight when they do the last part of the Day of the Dead to play "Phoenix Lament"

Aang looked confused and Lu Ten looked him understandingly. "Trust me, she'll understand."

"Okay, how do I get back?"

"Go towards the light," as he pointed to the light behind him which Aang did and when he woke up everyone had a thousand questions for them but he brushed them all aside and just told Azula Lu Ten's message.

So they all went to the old workshop and she found where the old key was hidden and opened the cabinet and to everyone shock what was inside was a violin. It was beautiful and was almost perfect but there was a large flawed mark in the back.

There was a note attached to the case it was meant to go in. " _Azula no-one is perfect for many reasons, but you don't have to be perfect to receive unconditional love. Every person is like a violin. For whatever wood we are made of the music is purest and beautiful when we put ourselves in the hands of the master. Love Lu Ten."_

The first half the night all the guest paid tribute to the Fire Nation Day of the Dead and Azula played the most beautiful music when she played "The Phoenix Lament"

Then both how the Water Tribe did their Winter Solstice and Blue Moon Ball was wonderful and by the end of the vacation, one way or another everyone had come closer as family, friends and yes some even as lovers.

For that what the holidays are all about.


	7. The Scars that Don't Fade

The scars that don't fade

The wintertime celebrations had done their mission of bringing everyone closer together. However secrets, lies and the scars that they effect on one heart and soul have a way of tearing apart the strongest of ties.

Every member of Team Avatar along with every member of their families was carrying around a huge burden; some type of secret and it was as agonizing as the scar that Zuko had to have on his features.

Although the thing about secrets and scars? They don't go away and they never thoroughly heal either not till they come to the light and are allowed to be released. Only when revelations inside you are allowed to escape are you yourself relinquish and true healing can begin.

There was a tremendous hurricane heading towards Republic City and that was meant both figuratively and literally. The storm trackers and weathermen had been tracking this storm for weeks hoping it would change course. However alas it wasn't gonna shift course and was gonna hit Republic City and the tortures and emergencies only increased as it came closer.

Though this typhoon was gonna be more dangerous then if the Avatar lost all control of his power. There was serious discussion regarding if they should evacuate the city from the approaching storm or what other measure needed to be taken for this coming storm. It was decided in the end after doing all they could to prepare the city for all the damage control that could be done they get everyone out little by little before the storm hit.

The way this hurricane was foretold to be this could be the worst thing if you put Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Florence together plus incorporated in both the Great Earthquake and an F5 tornado. So it was gonna be just one hell of a storm and well no one was likely to get through this in one piece which was why they had to evacuate.

Aang along with the rest of Team Avatar been strictly told they couldn't do anything insane like try to use their bending to fight the advancing storm. Aang was still only a half-trained Avatar and again a 14-year-old child. Not mention everyone else was only a bunch of half-trained high school students no matter how sincerely gifted they were as benders or warriors or other skills they may possess.

It would be self-destruction to attempt and battle this approaching storm. The best they could do was right now help the city in its efforts to prepare for it. Which was getting emergency pieces of equipment, building powerful partitions and making positive there was a sufficient amount of food and water, and things along that nature?

Toph and Brock had their hands full working to get anyone who had any skill in Earthbending or Toph felt who could pull off metalbending to build tall reinforced walls while Nita and Katara were trying to prepare with other waterbenders for the flooding to come. That left the rest of the gang trying to deal with the power supply and food situation.

"I feel like I should be doing a lot more than this! I'm the Avatar! I was chosen for a reason to receive this Spirit of the Avatar when the world was reborn! I don't like this!" Aang bemoaned to his sister as they're out of earshot of their parents gathering fruits and vegetables from Air Temple Island.

"I know, I know, I feel like we should both be doing a lot more. Like, don't you think that the rest of our people should come to the mainland? Don't you think they are crazy to stay here when that storm is only like five or six days from hitting?"

"They despise us, Arianna! Furthermore, you know how obstinate they've become. They won't accept or listen to anything the 'betrayers" have to say or have done," he grunted to her.

'Aang, even if they shunned us for wanting to be a family we cannot let them be doomed! Look I know it still hurts how because of our folkways they hurt our entire family!

Except I don't desire to see the Temple wiped out and everyone perish because of us having a dispute with them over duty vs heart! Moreover, I don't want to see Aurelia die when we can save her!" Arianna told him with great enthusiasm.

"Who is Aurelia?" he asked her and she sighed before whispering. "She was my guardian before Mom and Dad found me. She was extraordinarily pleasant, Aang. She could charm songs out of birds, taught me how to make pottery and I genuinely feel like she felt sorry that I didn't know who my parents were and she wished she could tell me even though it was prohibited."

"Do you know where she is? Perhaps we can say hi to her while Mom and Dad are occupied with getting Appa loaded up and conceivably she can persuade the others to head inland?"

"I guess it's worth a try," although she looked like she going to cry.

"What is it, Ari?"

"What if she resents me, Aang? Like all the other Air Nomads? What if our friendship is over because of us leaving? What if I was mistaken that she felt sorry for me?"

"Only one way to find out. Any theory where she would be?"

"If I know her as well as I do in times of impending disasters she goes to the inner sanctuary to pray. C'mon let's go," as she grasped her little brother hand and they raced off while their parents weren't looking.

Though their parents didn't see them leave Momo didn't miss a trick and soon caught up to them and landed on Aang's head and held steady fast to his hat. "Well, hey little guy. I guess you're along for the ride huh?"

"Aang, keep him quiet! And let's not attracted attention to ourselves!" his older sister murmured as they continued to make their way to the inner sanctum of their old home.

At last, they came to the inner sanctum and taking a deep breath they pushed open the gateways gradually and found the room was vacant except for one older woman who was in her early 50s.

She wasn't particularly tall only about 5'3 and of slim build. Her medium length hair was a tawny brown and starting to gray and she was clothed in traditional attire of an Air Nomad other than she too had a gorgeous red feather sticking out of her hair.

"Aurelia!" cried out Arianna with tears in her attractive copper-colored eyes. Then she couldn't help but run over to the praying novitiate who didn't know what hit her as she was knocked off her feet by her old ward as she was smothered by an embrace.

Aang stood ponderously off to the side as the nun got back to her feet and got a look at who'd run her over. "Arianna? Heaven's child is that you?"

"Yes, Aurelia, it's me! And I'm with my little brother Aang and that's our pet lemur Momo," she told her old guardian as she introduced her brother and their pet.

Aang reddened ruby as he moved awkwardly forward and reached out his hand. "Um, a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Sister Aurelia. Um thank you for watching over my big sister all this time," he stammered.

"Ari? This boy is your little brother?"

"Yes, I told you I all my life I sensed I wasn't an only child and that I craved to know my parents. But I was forced not to be vocal about it or face punishment. Although you knew I felt that way."

"Well, to be honest, Ari, I always knew you had a sibling. That I did know as I was part of the midwife team that delivered both you and your brother. But it's such a shock to find your brother is..."

"That I'm the one the world chose to become the Avatar?" he finished for her. "Yeah, everyone is kind of finding that a hard pill to swallow. But she still Ari a good big sister and looks out for me.

In fact, I think you should fear her more to be honest. No one should mess with me unless you want to deal with the Avatar's big sister. I mean we didn't start out too well although we've absolutely bonded extremely well Ari a great big sister."

"Well, you still can be quite a normal pain in the butt little brother, Aang. Avatar or no Avatar. Still, I love you and will do my job."

"Thank you. So again thank you for taking care of my sister."

"It was a great honor, young Avatar. I only wish that neither of you had to be separate, to begin with. Your parents aren't the only ones who oppose with the custom that children are separate from their parents at birth.

I too miss my own child who was taken from me and I never knew what happened to him. I hope that your family can start changing things around here. That we change the rules regarding the importance of biological parenting and regain our true spirit at last."

"We you praying about that right now?" Ari asked her and she nodded.

"I pray for it every day and pray those knuckleheads to have enough sense to vacate the island and find shelter elsewhere from the storm. I genuinely pray for this for the sake of my son and any grandchildren I might have."

"So you don't want to shun us?" Arianna and Aang asked her and she looked at them if they're deranged.

"Why shun the ones who speak the truth and actually got what so many of us want but are too terrified to seek? You all get to be family! All these children don't know where they come from and none of the other monks and nuns will never know the joy of parenthood.

It's a sad state of circumstances if you ask me if you don't know who you are or can't be with your family. What sin is to want to be with your kinfolk?" she questioned as she fed seeds and berries to Momo.

"You've got one extremely witty and intelligent lemur, Aang. I can see it in his eyes. Let me guess you named him Momo because he stole moon peaches?"

"How did you know that?" he asked in astonishment.

"His name means "Peach" makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Come let's have some tea and tell me more about your two journeys in becoming brother and sister. As I'm sure that's much harder then truly becoming either Airbending Masters or learning how to be the Avatar," as she scooted them out the doors to go make some jasmine tea.

So they went to her private chamber and began to tell a middle-aged woman what their journey been like so far as a family, what school was like and also how each of their love lives been like.

She simply smiled serenely and listened silently as they talked. "It seems you both have gotten your heart's desire, or have you? IS there more going on that either you are willing to admit?" she asked carefully to which both siblings hung their heads.

"I think, Aurelia we both be lying if didn't both admit being shunned hasn't affected us. It does hurt the looks you get from the other of your kind. Being outcast for the simple reason you just wanted to be with your family." Aang confessed what was bothering him.

"It's amazing to have our family and I love being a big sister. We love our friends and all, but shunning us? It still hurts and it hurts the only thing they found unforgivable is again we just wanted to be a family.

Why do some cultures find what is needed for the heart and soul so unforgivable? Or those who wish to join a modern society or if you have children or any number of reasons?

Why do that constituent grounds to basically act like you committed some unforgivable sin and should be treated like your lower than scum and never existed and your friends and loved ones should act like you were never born?

It deplorable and stupid and it's a practice that should be ended!" cried Arianna how shameful the act of shaming and shunning others for being different or acting against traditions was, to begin with.

"I know it's wrong and how it really gives no one any choice at all. Either follow one line of thinking or you'll be ostracized for all time. You all are very brave to try and change that.

However, revolutions and change don't happen overnight. Sometimes it takes a lifetime or many lifetimes for one change to be made. But someone must be willing to change first," replied Arianna's old guardian knowingly.

"Even if it means we must endure this pain?" they asked her and she nodded.

"Even if it's based on close-minded and narrow thinking you must be the ones to start the ripples that will get the wheels in motion to change us. You'll both do great things in your life. Big and small. More than just keep balance in the world, Aang," she added looking at him.

"Anyone can be chosen to be the Avatar. Although those who have the honor of being chosen are chosen for a reason they cannot see. But from the history, we've gathered of the Lost Age it is either for the lessons the Avatar can teach or will learn themselves or the lives they touch in turn.

Something tells me this time it's about how many lives you've touched and how many more lives each of them will touch in turn till it creates this beautiful tapestry with a never-ending story and the chapters only become more brilliantly detailed and greater than the last.

But it will be the hearts and souls all of you touch in your life right now and those who follow after you that will make this tapestry continued to be woven in the one story that must never ever reach its end.

For a good story never has a true end, just new beginnings for each new chapter about the next character to tell their story," as she spoke both in the metaphorical sense as well as a philosophical sense of what profound wisdom she wished to endowed the young airbending sibling with.

The two young teens seemed to be in deep thinking when suddenly they heard their names being called.

"Aang? Arianna?" a sympathetic and tender voice called out and they nearly jumped out their skin.

Looking up from their tea they saw their mother standing in the doorway. She looked at first a bit terrifying but then calm down when she saw who they were with. "Aurelia! Nice to see you again! Thank you for making sure my children weren't getting into trouble while my husband and I were busy."

"They weren't a problem, Akanke, at all. They actually sought me out but I was delighted to look after them for you. You and your old guardian Acacia have always been good friends.

I know it caused you much anguish when she passed away last year before the completion of Avatar Wan High. I know you really never got to say goodbye to her as she suffered that lethal stroke."

Aang and Akanke were surprised to see their mother tremble to start crying. So much that Aurelia had to hasten around the table to guide her to the table to get her to sit down.

"Mom are you okay?" both her children asked at the same time.

"I'm sorry, kids, give me a moment. I didn't realize returning to the island would be so hard. I know people are still giving us the evil eye and looking down on us. I know they are still speaking vulgar despicable names about us.

Your father's busy right now trying to talk some sense into the Council about getting them to evacuate everyone to a sanctuary and I'm praying he can do it. But it's not gonna be simple with us being shunned."

"But who was Acacia?" Aang asked his mother who sighed. "She was my guardian, sweetie. She was the one who introduced me to your father during the Fall Equinox Ball and helped us have dates at Avatar Star Island.

Then she did the biggest miracle of all helping us become husband and wife. She was a gorgeous, sympathetic and extremely empathetic woman. Unfortunately, she'd a fatal stroke summertime before last. She was only 68 years old. I didn't get to say goodbye," she recalled grievously the only woman she'd know both as a mother and miracle worker.

"You loved her a lot didn't you, Mom?" Arianna asked her mother who nodded as she wiped her tears.

"Neither of you would be here without her help. Acacia told me to follow my heart and do whatever it took to follow both my heart and dreams. She never was the one who told me to not suppress my Spirit Wind but let it out let it fly free.

She wasn't blood but if anyone was gonna is counted as your two's grandmother it is here. I wish she'd lived to see me reunited with you both as her only dream was to see my heart's desire was to come true," as she was still crying and only stopped to blow her nose with the handkerchief that Aurelia gave her.

"I know this might not make up for it and everyone else on the island went out of their way to obliterate anything that had even the tiniest connection to all four of you on this island when you all went against traditions but I did save something that should make things a little easier for you to bare, Akanke." Aurelia handed her a leather-bound book with the Air Nomad symbol on the cover.

Curious she took it gingerly and she and her kids opened it and gasped. It was a photo album and there were pictures of their family throughout their happier times on Air Nomad Island.

And there were pictures of an elderly woman who had to be Acacia filling up two pages. Closing the book she hugged it tightly to her chest and whispered, "Thank you, Aurelia"

"Welcome, Akanke. Now you all better get going. I'll do my own part of getting these knuckleheads to get off this island even if I must forcefully remove the children myself to get them to safety."

"Thank you again for taking care of my daughter."

"It was an honor and a privilege. Now hurry. You have many other duties to do before this storm hits."

"Yes, we do. Come, children, say goodbye to your Auntie Aurelia and let get going," to which both Arianna and Aang hugged the elder woman tightly as she did to them and kissed each of their foreheads before slipping them a bag of trail mix to give Momo and they left.

Whilst all this had been going on with Aang's family on Air Temple Island Toph and Brock were having a deep profound talk of their own about their own scars.

"I did try for so many years to play the part just to be loved but I couldn't take it past the age of six. I just wanted to be loved for who I am. I don't understand why it's Mom and Dad who are blind and deaf and not me." Toph was saying in a voice choked with tears as she was now laying another layer to the growing metal wall.

"I know what you mean, cuz. All our lives they've only loved the children they think they ought to have and not loved the children they do have. They don't know us anymore then they know how to get muddy without freaking out like a baby." Brock agreed as he was busy trying to determine the next spot to set up a barricade.

"I wish they just love us you know! Just love you and me for us. Not constantly compare us to the "Beifong' standers or be so ashamed we are Earthbenders either! I just wish they could be proud of the things we can do."

"Or they wouldn't be so high strung and stuck up and get along with our friends' families and let us date whoever we want so we wouldn't have to keep it a secret."

"Yeah and again be proud of all we've achieved as Earthbenders! We've invented like three sub-skills alone! The seismic sense which we've developed to the point we can identify what type of earth, alloy or other ores are in the ground!"

"Yeah and we can tell who lying or not! Plus you've got this metalbending going on and I've invented the technique with the help of a firebending to gembending by taking different kinds of earth and making gemstones!"

"Which by the way is freaking awe-inspiring! I'd never thought to do that but then again I can't read! You were able to take what you study things in a book and use my talent of seismic sense and then take it behind lavabending and able to make jewelry! Now that what I call innovated!"

"Hey, at least we are excellent, entertaining and imaginative! I mean I'm also doing sculpting with earthbending and together we can totally do some pretty high-grade landscaping. Not to mention with that old meteorite we found that was buried on the property from years ago you've learned to bend that as well!"

"Good point and another point is why can't our stupid parents just love us for us and be proud of things we are capable of and not want these stupid narrow-minded stuck-up snobby blue-blood children they want?"

"I don't know, Toph but I'm tired of living like this and thinking its time we should seriously contemplate running away. I'm positive any of our friends would put us up. But I'm sick of being a Beifong!"

"You read my mind, cuz! No wonder our symbol a flying pig because it will be when pigs fly anyone will get a clue!"

"How about you and I start concocting an escape plan as soon as this storm is over? What do you think of that?"

"Like we've not had that in the operations since we could both walk, Brock?"

"Then let's start putting it into motion, Toph!"

"Okay, Operation Freedom will commence as soon as this storm passes! Furthermore, before the school year is up we shall have independence! And you got to promise it's before our next birthdays!"

"Before you turn 14 on the Spring Equinox on March 20th of this year which is exactly 5 weeks from now as today is February 13th and tomorrow is Sokka's 17th birthday. He handled Yue's deathday anniversary surprisingly well."

"Won't be sure about that but we can get to our runaway plans after we finish here. Now let's get back to work!"

It turned out Sokka wasn't dealing so well with the reminder that Yue had been gone for a year now and Suki had been trying to help him deal with the anniversary as they're busy helping people board up their house and business with the rest of the non-benders for the approaching storm.

"C'mon, Sokka, you're the lover boy of all lover boys! Look I know you're melancholy that Yue's been gone a year. But if you don't at least talk about it you'll never heal from it," as she had him hand her a hammer.

"Really I'm fine, Suki, I"m OWW! Son of..." he started and she glared at him and he shut it as he whimpers in pain.

"Sokka, I know you too well. You've nearly put nails through your hands all day and finally smashed your thumb just now! Let's get away from the power tools before we have to go to the ER which is gonna be swamped soon as it is!"

"Good idea! Let's see if we can find a healer for my thumb!" he whimpered as they wandered through the Water Tribe homes.

"Look can you just tell me what you are feeling? Like why don't you just admit you miss Yue? Just say it!"

"I can't say that!"

"Well in the name of Avatar Kyoshi, why not? You think it will hurt my feelings or something?"

"Well...yeah."

"Sokka?"

He looked down at his shoes and sighed, "Suki you are the most remarkable and marvelous girl I've ever know save for Yue. Also, I've been feeling for days if I have broken down in depression and started talking about her and letting you know I missed her? I would make you feel like second best or remind you there was someone before you.

That wouldn't be fair to you. It wouldn't be fair to remind you that I loved someone before you and our kind of came together off a rebound and it just didn't feel right," he confessed subsequently.

Suki blinked her teal eyes and then gave him a quirky smile. "Well that's terribly sweet of you to think of my feelings, but it's actually unnecessary, Sokka. As it would be dishonoring Yue's last wish."

"What?! What are you talking about? Yue's last wish? What are you talking about, Suki?"

"Last year when Yue realized her time was up and you're in denial she started to put her affairs in order for when she passed. She had the rest of the girls take care of her materialistic needs and had Toph's family preserve her memory through charity.

But she left the matter of her heart for me."

"Matter of the heart? I don't get it?"

"Yue's last wish before she died was for someone to love and take care of you in her place. She didn't want you to be alone and to never love again. She didn't want her death to stop you from living.

She'd pray to the Moon and Ocean for a long time to find for her someone who could take care of the person who matters most to her. You. She had asked the Spirits to show her the one who'd love, honor and cherish you just as much as she had. She realized _I was the one she was looking for._

 _She made her last request that I take care of you in her place as she could see I would love, honor and cherish you as much as she did. And so I have for I do love you and I've honored and cherished you with all my heart and soul._

 _Thus fulfilling the dying wish of Yue."_

"Wait a moment! You're saying all Yue cared about when she was dying was _if I was gonna be okay? That there be someone to love me?"_

"Yes. That's all she was thinking about. Not herself, Sokka, just you."

" _And she asked you to take care of me? To love me in her place?"_

"Yes, I already loved you and I've only grown to love you more in the year since her passing but I shall never forget she loved you first. And that you will always love her and me in different ways.

And no it's nothing to do with pity, Sokka. I love you for you and I'm honored that Yue asked me to take care of you and that she is smiling down every time the moon out knowing your happy and know someone loves you for you."

"I'll always remember how she died but to know her only thoughts were of me? Wow."

"I only speak the truth, Sokka. Yue put your happiness before hers till the end."

"Thank you for the best birthday gift I could ask for, Suki."

"What did I give you?"

"The gifts of truth and true love."

Blushing she leaned forward and kissed him before whispering. "You're welcome."

"We've done all we can with the rest of the waterbenders to prepare for the flooding to come. I only hope it's enough to make these flood lanes, Nita," Katara told her as they looked at everyone else doing their best to prepare.

"Shouldn't we just pack up and get going? All the massive flooding and creating waterways for it still gonna be too much!"

"We can't turn our back on people who need us, Nita. We can't let people die. We aren't helpless little girls anymore! We can finally make a difference!" she shouted at her with her fist balled.

"Katara! Please! I know you're still angry your mother was murdered during that mugging. And I know that now you've power you wish you could do something to the man who did it.

But just because you can do all the skills of waterbending. From normal waterbending to healing and heaven forbid that forbidden bloodbending which is against law you can't exact your revenge!

You know what Aang told you about revenge. You are just poisoning yourself at the same time your enemy goes down. It hard to forgive but that's why you have to do it because it's hard."

'What would you know about doing anything hard, Nita?" she snapped angrily and Nita looked like she was slapped in the face and Katara looked immediately apologetic.

"Sorry, Nita I shouldn't have said that..."

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE HUGE SECRET I HAVE TO KEEP EVERY DAY! SO DON'T TELL ME YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S 'HARD' YOU HAVE IT SO EASY COMPARED TO ME!" screamed Nita as the water reacted to her anger and began to boil and rise.

"Nita! Calm down! Please!"

"You have no idea what it's like for me! Every day I've to keep this secret and if anyone ever found out I'd be endlessly tormented, disowned, outcast! I maybe even lynched! You have no idea!" she ranted as things continued to bubble and boil and finally Katara was really fearing for her life when some dogs howled and Nita had to suddenly snap back to normal.

"Nita! Nita! What's the mattered with you, sweetheart? Your father and I along with Hakoda could see from two miles away that we all were about to be in the scalding hot water!

What was that about?"

"Nothing, Mom! Nothing!" she quickly tried to regain her composure.

"Nothing? Well a lot of "Nothing" been going on lately," her mother looked at her with suspicious eyes.

"I don't know what you mean..." she said with her tongue getting tied.

"The late night calls? The coded text messages? The fact you have a private email account for one person? You think your father and I are dumb or something?" her mother blue eyes narrowed at her daughter.

"It's nothing, Mother, and I wish you stay out of it and stop invading my privacy!" she snapped.

"Nita if you're involved with a boy or online dating your father and I've every right to know who you are seeing. We should know who is getting involved with our daughter. We need to make sure you're safe.

The world of dating and being with boys can be a scary and unpredictable place for young girls and with your 16th birthday around the corner you may think you're all grown up but your still a teenager.

All I want for your birthday is you, to be honest with us who your boyfriend is and let us meet him. That's all I want sweetheart. Please tell us, please?" as she looked at her daughter in the eye and kissed her before going back to work.

"You know you should be honest with your mom and dad about who you are dating. They are just trying to protecting you. And if you really think of me and Sokka as your siblings I'd like to know my own 'sister' is safe when she's going on a date." Katara told her.

Nita twisted a ball of water in her hands before whispering in a voice that almost couldn't be heard. "All they wanted is honesty all I want is acceptance."

"What?"

"What?" she looked startled as Katara got closer to her.

"What did you just say? I didn't hear you."

"I can't tell my mom whom I dating because if she or anyone found out, Katara...well all of the Water Tribe would shun me like they shun your boyfriend! Just like Toph's family wouldn't approve of her cousin Brock dating Aang's sister!

This is both forbidden love and enough to get me shunned! It's would also be considered a great dishonor for whom I'm seeing!"

"I don't understand what could possibly be so bad you can't tell your parents that you go to such lengths to keep it a secret and that you think I wouldn't understand?"

"You'd never understand! No-one would! Everyone so judgmental! Trust me you wouldn't understand!"

"Nita, we've known each other our entire lives and I've only treated you with love and kindness. And you told me I'm like your sister, right?"

"Yes..."

"If you can't tell your mom and dad can't you trust your 'sister' with something you can't tell them? Please just tell me. I swear whatever it is I will not betray your secret I won't even tell Aang I promise!"

She looked pained and asked her, "Even if it cost you your waterbending you wouldn't tell?"

"I'd rather give up my bending then betray your trust, Nita."

"Okay... I'm a... I'm a... I'm a lesbian!" she got it out in a rush and Katara took a step back in surprise clearly not expecting her to say that.

"You're a...?

"A lesbian! I like girls! Okay! There I said! Yes, I'm a freak! I don't like boys! I like girls! And my girlfriend is Zuko's cousin Ember! We've been secret girlfriends ever since November!" she was on the verge of tears and then yelled at Katara.

"Go ahead! Yell at me! Call me names! Do what everyone else on the planet does to people like me! Just do your worst!"

Katara didn't say or do anything for a moment before she just asked quietly. "Why didn't you just tell us the truth in the first place? You really think we treat you any different?

Do you really think I'm like those close-minded, blind and deaf ignorant fools who can't see love isn't a sin? All that matter in love is finding someone who makes you happy, safe and gives your life meaning?

That love is not limited by race, religion, age, or gender? You really think I'm some stupid idiot I wouldn't accept you for you?

You didn't think my mother didn't raise me to be accepting of all people and tell me to judge them by their character and not where they're from? And yes I did forget that when she died but that was something she did teach us.

That one should be judged by their character not where their from or who their family is or what they can or can't do or anything trivial. Race, religion or sexuality none of that matters as much as who you choose to be in life?"

"So you _do accept me?"_

"Yes, Nita nothing changed at all other then you told me the truth. But now it's time for Ember to be honest with her family about who she is."

"I don't know if she can do that."

"If you can do it I'm sure she can."

That point in time Ember was, in fact, getting close to admitting the truth to Zuko and Akiko.

They're alone at the Jasmine Dragon apart from Aunt Kim and her mother Nurita working to get it boarded up and pack up what needed to be packed up for the coming storm.

The rest of the family were busy at the manor and Xiaoying's shop doing the same getting it ready for the storm except Iroh who was at the High School with several teachers trying to get the school prepared for the storm.

"Please, hurry up getting all the decorations off the walls and packed up, Akiko. Zuko are you nearly done boarding up the windows? Ember are you doing okay in the kitchen?" called out her mother Nurita as she and her sister worked in the main room.

"We're doing our best to finish getting this all done as quickly and effectively as possible, Aunt Nurita. But we can only move so fast!" called Akiko as she finished removing the last of wall decorations.

"She does have a point, sister, and they're doing the best job they can. Don't worry we'll have the tea shop secure before the storm hits," Kim assured her as she was finishing putting her plants into transplant carrying cases.

"I hope you are right, big sister, for all our sake," her little sister replied as she helped with the plants.

"Well, I just finished working on the outside of the tea shop, Aunt Kim and Aunt Nurita. I can help Ember in the kitchen," Zuko informed them as he walked in.

"So can I as I just got done with everything in her," chimed in Akiko.

"Okay, hurry up both of you. We needed to be finished with this tonight," Aunt Kim told them as the two 17 years went to check on their 15-year-old cousin who seemed more than a little frazzled.

She had broken a few teacups, looked distraught and was very upset about something.

"Hey, Ember calms down, it's going to be okay. No one gonna care about a few broken teacups. These aren't even Aunt Kim's favorite. And if you're scared about the storm, don't be," Zuko was trying to calm his cousin.

"That's right, the whole city's been preparing for weeks and we'll all be evacuated by the time it hits. We still have time to get out of here. Don't worry we'll be back in Sundrop Valley in no time.

With how fast the city it working we'll all be gone by tomorrow evening with rest of the gang at the latest. The City's just finishing what it can do here and then everyone getting out.

It really helps with bender, non-benders, and technology all working seamlessly together that we can get prepared so quickly and they've already done some evacuation. So don't worry.

We'll be out here safely with the rest of our friends and family and back to our small slice of paradise in Sundrop Valley in no time," Akiko reassured her.

"It's not that I'm worried about, to be honest," Ember whispered quietly as twisted a ribbon of flames in her hand.

"Then what is scaring you?" Zuko wanted to know as he held his cousin close to him.

"I"m more worried if we have to stay long-term at Sundrop Valley because of the damage of the incoming storm. And if I can keep up the act much longer. It's getting harder each day to pretend and I can't pretend any longer.

And with all of us staying at Sundrop Valley again I won't be able to pretend to be normal anymore! And then you'll...find out... how dishonorable I really am...and you'll disown me and I won't have a...family...anymore!" she sobbed and buried her face in both their chest sobbing uncontrollably unable to keep in any longer.

"Ember! Ember! Hey, calm down! Shush! Shush! It's okay, honey. It's alright sweetheart. Shush," Akiko rocked and soothed her till Ember stopped crying but still looked like she wanted to die.

"Ember come on tell us what's bothering? Where are you getting all these crazy ideas? Why do you think your family would abandon you? Come on you can tell us."

"No, I can't. Of all the people I can't tell it is you! You are too much like Kazuo and Aiko the most famous lovers in all the Fire Nation and if I told you the truth you know how much I shame them and you two!"

"We won't judge you. You're family nothing will ever change that,' Zuko said firmly.

Ember took a deep breath and like her girlfriend let it out in a rush though she accidentally lit something on fire as she confessed it.

"I'm a... a...lesbian!" and the first thing Zuko and Akiko had to do were put out the fires she accidentally caused before they could deal with her surprising confession.

"Okay, a little calmer this time and don't set the tea shop on fire, please?" Zuko requested and Ember looked shameful as she repeated.

"A lesbian! I like girls! Okay! There I said! Yes, I'm a freak! I don't like boys! I like girls! And my girlfriend is Sokka and Katara's foster sibling Nita! We've been secret girlfriends ever since November!" she was on the verge of tears and then yelled at both Zuko and Akiko

"Go ahead! Yell at me! Call me names! Do what everyone else on the planet does to people like me! Just do your worst!" she was ready for them to let her know just how dishonorable she was. She just wanted it to over with.

The two lovers didn't say or do anything for a moment before smiling at Ember kindly.

Then they just asked her quietly.

"Why didn't you just tell us the truth in the first place? You really think we treat you any different?"

Ember stopped crying and looked at the two people she cared about the most. She was in disbelief as they hugged her tightly and wiped her tears. After making sure she was calm down Akiko continued on first.

"Do you really think we're like those close-minded, blind and deaf ignorant fools who can't see love isn't a sin? All that matter in love is finding someone who makes you happy, safe and gives your life meaning?

That love is not limited by race, religion, age, or gender? You really think I'm some stupid idiot I wouldn't accept you for you?" she asked her as if this was the most obvious thing in the world and she was being silly to think that they would think otherwise.

"You didn't think my mother or Uncle Iroh and Aunt Kim didn't raise us all to be accepting of all people? That they didn't teach us to judge them by their character and not where they're from?

That one should be judged by their character not where their from or who their family is or what they can or can't do or anything trivial. Race, religion or sexuality none of that matters as much as who you choose to be in life?" Zuko asked her again as if she was being silly.

"So you _do accept me?" she asked in astonishment and both laughed her and kissed her forehead._

"Yes, Ember nothing changed at all other then you told us the truth. But now it's time for Nita to be honest with her family about who she is."

"I don't know if she can do that."

"If you can do it I'm sure she can," all unaware that she had just told Katara the truth and would eventually by night's end tell her parents the truth.

Well lucky for everyone in Republic City they had gotten the city had best prepared for the storm of the century as they could. Then the only thing left to do was getting everyone out of the city in an orderly fashion which they did manage to do.

Everyone was back in Sundrop Valley once more enjoying the enchantment of that small piece of paradise and at least Nita and Ember could finally be open about their relationship and if it was only again the Beifongs who everyone by now determined were way too old fashion to get it no one cared.

The rest of the families and their friends were perfectly accepting of it and spent the remainder of February and the first week of March at Sundrop Valley because of the damage to that storm.

But at least all the secrets and scars had begun to heal and everyone was a lot happier there in the open at last.


	8. Being Rich Doesn't Mean Your Free

Being Rich Doesn't Mean Your Free

Team Avatar and their families were returning to Republic City after staying numerous weeks at Iroh and Kimana's mountain utopia property of Sundrop Valley after a hurricane was fated to hit the city. True it had brought virtually everyone a great euphoria to return to that small magical sovereignty that the Valley was.

Well almost everyone because there were, of course, a few people not to be specified who couldn't appreciate the grandeur or what absolutely needed to be preserved or what genuine treasure was in this world which we walked and existence in.

It also seemed like Kim was getting closer to trusting the choice of bequeathing the property and it's protection to all of Team Avatar. Since they'd all passed certain undisclosed tests while they'd been gone. Furthermore, they'd also unknowingly been passing other tests for the great part of the last two years.

Though she had to be completely confident before imparting them all deeds to the sanctioned property including all its enigmas. Though she, her sister and Iroh were reasonably certain that Team Avatar was the best Guardians of Sundrop Valley when the time came to pass it on.

That was one thing on the Fire Nation family's minds as they along with everyone else was driving or flying back home to see if a home was even still there. It was now only safe for people to return to the city and start picking up the pieces of their lives.

Essentially as everyone was returning home they could only hope the destruction wasn't extremely critical. That they'd ended up being destitute and absolutely have lost everything in what was predicted be more dangerous then what would've been if the Avatar State was untrammeled.

Well, it was horribly calamitous when they did come back home no refuting that. Although it did look like at least like with the preparations they'd done previously through a unification of bending and technology had lessened it. Therefore bless god and spirits for small miracles.

It looked like again everyone would have to pull together and fuse their capabilities, resources including their money if they desired to raise the city up once more though. Though if you had the spirit of humanity and an ounce of decency in you assisting your fellow man shouldn't be too hard. For it was the right thing to do and should be done without anticipating anything in return save "thank you"

Kimana's Iroh wife wasn't the only one who had a double faith of believing in the ancient spirits and Avatar whilst also following the teachings of God and his angels. Which is why she incorporated both so intricately into her everyday life and had both such enthusiasm for life and unshakeable faith.

Or why her pet was a White Lotus Dove named Ren. Though that may have more to do with the ancient society called The Order of the White Lotus. There were only ones who bred and owned White Lotus Doves that each member had one.

They're extremely devoted pets who could find anyone you asked no matter where they were in the world. In the Lost Age they're used as both pets and to send secret messages to other members of the OWL.

As everyone took a moment to reflect as they viewed the city from the highway that just overhead they all on Kim's commanded bowed their heads in soundless prayer. To thank God they've been no deaths, that they'd a home to return home to and to help them revive their home to its complete brilliance. Presently to also bless the days to come and for a bright and promising future. Furthermore, may everyone be protected and cared for in the days to come.

"You certainly are a strong woman one whose faith who can't be broken, aren't you my love?" Iroh asked her benevolently as they were driving back into the city leisurely.

"Sometimes all you have is faith, Iroh. We know the Spirit World is quite authentic as Aang went there to see Lu Ten so he could tell us where he left Azula's gift. If that's real, how can we not say the other realm for souls and other beings don't exist as well?" she replied pleasantly her captivating golden eyes glistened vividly with wonder and happiness.

"I don't doubt there are many worlds and more to this world that we don't know about. Hitherto so much been up for debt by numerous specialists, academics and logicians and yet its ultimately to one own soul and heart what they choose to believe in the end."

"That is so true, Iroh. Quite true, but there are so many more truths and mysteries to this life and whatever hereafter we end up in it will always be a bit of a never-ending enigma for the all time I guess."

"I believe we must forever have something to question moreover investigate, don't you Kim?"

"To never have all the answers? Left to seek and imagine? To hope and question? Yes, Iroh, of course, or what give us meaning in this world or why would live at all if we had nothing left to dream?"

"Do you always have to speak like this? Like your sages or wise men or something? It's getting bothersome after awhile no offense, Aunt Kim. Not that you and Uncle Iroh aren't bursting of profound enlightenment however it really does get annoying after a while," Ember moaned from the back seat.

"Ember, mind your manners young lady and don't talk back to your uncle or aunt! Not when they've shown us great magnanimity and hospitality!" her mother Nurita reprimanded her quickly.

"Rita, please, it's okay! It's not like me and my husband don't get carried away every once and while. Furthermore, I'm sure Ember still a little sensitive with how everyone honestly feels about her homosexuality with what we're talking about. Right, Ember?"

"Yes, Aunt Kim," she was looking at the floor of the car before looking up. "Are you positive I'm not gonna be condemned by either spirits or God for loving Nita?"

"Ember it's humans who fear what they don't understand. Love isn't a sin and God makes every human before they are born. And to God? He loves all his children with unconditional love and he gave us free will and nothing to him is queer and he knows everything about them when he creates them.

Consequently, he already knows who belongs with who. It's humans who make up their own laws or twist things to meet their own interpretation. Or neglected to live in the here and now. However, God never rejects any of his children but loves them no matter what they've done. Good or bad he loves them all.

It's only humans who think it's wrong and evil and can't see beyond words or see what is true words. God himself is the ultimate source of love and that's all he wants for his children is to love them unconditionally and for them to do the same for the rest of mankind and to leave even more for the rest of mankind.

A legacy of love is all he wishes and as long as you live your life in love and leave love behind that's all you need to do." Kimana informed her niece of the truth that so many failed to really understand of what was simple to understand but got lost so easy among so many other things.

"And the spirits of the spirit world have their own different representation but absolutely all the world needs is to believe in love, family, friendship what is a need for the heart and soul.

As long as you do what is what is good and right even when it's not easy when you have nothing to fear, my niece," Iroh informed the 15-year-old girl who seemed to be uplifted by these words.

"You two are a match made in both Heaven and the Spirit World you know that?"

Laughing genially they nodded. "Yes, we do know that. Now let's get home and see what the damage is."

One by one everyone returned to their homes and there were different reactions to going home. The only one that was the same was their homes had withstood the hurricane, but there was still a lot to talk about.

"So, what are we going to do now, Mom? Dad? I mean I'm only a half-trained Avatar. Although there no getting around the city is in desperate straights and I've got to do my part to help with rebuilding it."

"My brother does have a point. He's pretty much got Air and Water mastered and needs to move on to Earth and then Fire. Besides either way that's not what's relevant. What is relevant is we got to do our part to assist the inhabitants of Republic City!"

"We shall do all we can, beloveds. Whatever amount of help we can offer we shall. As much generosity as we can grant we will give and in many ways as possible. I'm sure that many people don't have much food and we did gather plenty of that," Akanke pointed out sensibly as they were going through their apartment trying to clean it up some as they talked.

"Yeah, we did, what about that?" Aang looked at his mother as her mouth curved into a small smile.

"Well, I did manage to get a letter from Aurelia and she has agreed to work with me, Xiaoying, Kim, and Nurita at the Jasmine Dragon. We're gonna turn it into a pseudo soup kitchen for now."

"So you'll work together at the Jasmine Dragon that did endure the tempest and give out food and clothes to those who have none, correct, Mom?"

"Yes, Arianna. Your father needs to work with the rest of City Hall committee members to best decide how the city should use its repositories to reconstruct the city."

"Well who gonna take care of our school?"

"I'm sure the school board and your friend Zuko's Uncle Iroh is working on how to get the school back into shape before its safe to go back. Though I'm certain they won't take away any of your summer vacation days even though you've missed a lot because of the storm," the two airbending siblings father replied as he entered the room after getting Appa settled on the rooftop.

While the Air Nomad family talked about these things the Water Tribe Families talked about their own things.

"I'm telling you I'm not taking no for an answer! Furthermore, I don't need your consent Bato or yours Hakoda! So either way with or with your say I'm going to do it!" Kameko was currently speaking in a stentorian voice around the kitchen table in Hakoda's home.

"Kameko no-one denying you the right to start performing an animal rescue or open a makeshift shelter/clinic. We're just saying you need us to give us a day or two to get you a permit from City Hall is all," Hakoda told her for the third time in an exhausted voice.

"Why do I need a permit for what is the right thing to do for those who don't have a voice and can't help themselves?"

"Honey, you needed a license to breed your dogs, can't you see this isn't any different?" her husband tried to get her to see it wasn't any different.

She finally nodded and sunk down in her chair. "You sure this won't take longer than 48 hours?" she asked them in a tired voice.

"It shouldn't. It should be enough time for you and the kids to turn the shelter in your backyard into a conventional clinic. Just give me and Bato 48 hours and that's all we need."

"Alright, I just can't stand by and watch animals suffer after this hurricane!"

"We know, my turtle, we know. But it's not like anyone could've stopped it either. We may've the Avatar now but he's only a 14-year-old half-trained boy and even he wouldn't have stood a chance if he was an adult and fully trained," her husband reminded her practically.

"Um, Mom?" came a small voice from behind them all.

Whirling around they saw their children in the kitchen doorway "Yes, my little bear?" Kameko asked her daughter affectionately.

"Do you want me, Sokka and Katara to start getting things ready over at our house so when the permit does come through we can start taking care of the abandoned and wounded pets right away?"

"That would be delightful dear. And before you ask you can call Ember tonight to check in with her and see if she's doing okay and find out what her family is doing to help."

Nita looked away for a second as she nervously played with her dyed aquamarine braids, "Mom are you really okay with you know...?"

Her mother got up from a chair and hugged her daughter tightly and looked at her 16-year-old daughter with so much love it showed.

"Honey all I want is for you to be happy. If Ember makes you happy then I'm happy. I just wish you had told your father and I sooner is all. A mother loves her child no matter what. Or at least a true mother does."

"Okay. Well, I and my foster siblings will go and get started then. Love you, Mom." as she hugged her tightly and she left with her foster big brother and sister to get her family backyard ready for the incoming critters.

"You both seemed to take this revelation about your daughter's lesbianism quite better than most. Not many people can handle finding something like this very well." Hakoda noted in a friendly tone.

"Well, Hakoda, I think for mothers we know our babies so well we aren't really surprised by anything. We are the ones who carry them inside us for nine months after all. Therefore a mother does know things about their children that no one else does know.

I think I always knew deep in my heart that Nita just wasn't into boys and was too frightened to say anything about given how society as a whole treats people who are different.

But she is my daughter and I love and accept her no matter what. Moreover, I've gotten to know Ember and the rest of that amazing Fire Nation family quite well and I've no misgivings with them.

Only good feelings and deep respect. I think we all approve of them. I'm pretty positive the only parents that none of us getting along with children's group of friend is the Beifongs. Toph and Brock are excellent and wonderful kids. No denying that. Their parents, however. Different story entirely! Totally stuck-up and absolute prigs who look down on everyone and treat everyone as if we are trash!"

"Can say that again. They are utterly clueless about their children and have such backward thinking and just braggarts!" her husband agreed as he inhaled his hot chocolate.

"Yes, I pity Toph and Brock considerably. Wish we could help them somehow."

This noticeably what was being talked about as Zuko's home too. While yes his aunts, godmother, and uncle all had plans of attack of how to deal with the aftermath the hurricane it was his mother, stepfather and godfather he heard having a bickering match about the Beifongs.

"I can't believe them! What asses are they! How do they call this a donation or philanthropy if they expect something in return? Everyone else in the City is trying to give themselves and being human to help restore the city to its former glory.

But they want to be _paid to give charity?"_ fumed Ursa about something in the cottage and Zuko couldn't help but overhear and his morbid curiously taken over and he went down to the dining room in the cottage to ask his mother what she was so vexed about.

"Um, Mom?"

"Zuko? What's the matter, honey?"

"Um, I was about to ask you the same question? Are any of us kids causing you to be angry or something?" he asked as that was always the first thing that came to a kid's mind when their parents were mad.

"No, none of you are causing trouble, my love. Azula is inside the manor giving Kiyi a violin lesson. Ember and Akiko are tidying up the greenhouses and Xiang is currently inside one of the manor's guest rooms down for her afternoon nap. Trust me you're not the source of our family frustration," the beautiful woman assured her son.

"Okay, if it's not us then what is? Unless you don't want to tell me?"

"It's those intolerable Beifongs, honey." He looked at his mom with his remaining up in confusion and she mended. "Not your friends, Toph and Brock their parents."

"Ah, yeah they are quite um...something else."

"They're rich jackasses who think they are better than anyone else that's what they are!"

"Noreen!"

"Sorry, Ursa, but what other words would have me use other than the words of truth?"

"Any other adjectives would have been more appropriate than that of blasphemy! What if our five years old walked in?!"

"Yes, you could've used the words like they're insufferable egotistic, narcissistic, narrow-minded, backward thinking affluent brahmins who can't see the forest for the trees and are literally a bunch tormentors who don't genuinely love their children for who they are." Piandao provided a rich use of vocabulary words for what the Beifong adults were.

"What did they do this time?" Zuko wanted to know and his mother sighed wearily in both outrage and displeasure at the two couples that harassed everyone so much.

"They've more gold then they know what to do. They could undoubtedly pay for all the things required to reconstruct the city, but won't! At least not if there nothing for them in return.

Their "generosity" comes with a price. Nothing is ever free for them. It must continuously come with some type of interest or something of benefit. Something to bolster them in some shape or form. If not then they don't get their hands dirty at all. Not that their well-manicured nails or gloved hands get dirty in any sense of the word.

Therefore unless they get all the acknowledgment or get financially compensated they won't lift a finger to help out. They see this more like a loan and not a true chance to help their fellow neighbors.

Their worse the misanthropes or even a Scrooge! Furthermore what is absolutely unsatisfactory of it all is how they criticize anyone they don't think its the same as their 'kind!" You saw how they still treated us at Sundrop Valley!

Always as if we're second-class or something too ignorant to learn or how they treated their own children as such failures and are embarrassed for them being benders or just being themselves!"

"I admit we've all heard how much Toph and Brock lament about how they've been brought up and it sounds like they have no pleasure and I think for them it's worse being prosperous."

"Yes, because all that money bought away their happiness, freedom or any chance to be themselves or just to have a life, Zuko," Noreen pointed out to his stepson.

"Honestly if they escape all of us have agreed to do in our power not to have them returned to those snobs," Piandao revealed.

"Well, I don't think we have to wait much longer for that. If slaves fled for a chance at freedom and knowing those two they are gonna run to freedom soon," Zuko smirked with a grin.

Toph and Brock weren't grinning at all. They're scowling with repugnance after hearing specifically what their parents were planning to do for helping the city restore itself and yeah there was a lot of avarice and selfishness a part of it.

Slipping outside unattended they weren't going to be apart of this. "Well, this stinks with a capital S! We've all the money and materials coming out our wazoos and unless they get something in return they don't want to help!" Toph was so furious she broke one of the stupid water foundations in the backyard.

"I'm sick to death of this upper-crust behavior! Enough is enough! We need to get the hell out of here!"

"Well, we've been packing for weeks, haven't we?"

"Yeah, and I've got all the gemstones that Ember and I made. Plus you did gather all our life savings right?"

"Yeah, I got all that and put it in that decorative box Kim gave us before we left Sundrop Valley. I can't see the box but she told me it's a beautiful box that tells the story of Oma and Shu the first Earthbenders on it.

"You think the servants can help bust us out?"

"I know they will do their best but we swore we get out before my birthday which is coming up fast. How are we gonna pull it off and not be forced back here?"

"I rather fight them with everything I got then be made to return!"

"So it's decided we leave and if they come after us we fight?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"No. But remember we can't take everything with us!"

"Okay. Just the most precious stuff and only what we can carry and flee in the dead of night."

Truthful this gonna be both easy and hard to pull off at the same time. Easy to get their things in order to take with them. The hard part would be the fleeing. Easy because their parents being who they were just clueless snobbish fools who couldn't get the hints anyone thrown their way.

The hard part was four days before Toph's 14th birthday was when they enacted their plan.

Rosy and her cousin Orem who worked in the kitchen both deliberately drugged their parents' food so they'd be asleep for a very long time and not even something woke the dead would they wake up.

Dornick the Beifong librarian had been pouring over thousands of books for any constitutional matters and loopholes and would keep them posted on what he could find and then Gem and her brother Gene got them out in the dead of night.

The ones who agreed to put Brock and Toph up were Aang's family at the moment. They did have a spare bedroom and were glad to grant asylum and like it was said all of Team Avatar families were gonna do all they could to make sure Toph and Brock didn't have to return to their prison and have any chance of freedom stolen by parents so irresponsible and unloving.

In fact, by the time Beifongs woke up, there was someone at the front door serving them court documents.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Toph's parents demanded and even Brock's parents couldn't make sense of all this legal mumbo-jumbo.

"To put it plainly as I understand, your children and some concerned citizens have contact Child and Family Services on you."

"What?!"

"We've received quite a lot of testimony from various eyewitnesses of your behavior and from the children themselves. So, for now, they are being temporarily removed your custody."

"Hold on you fool! Don't you know who you're talking to?!" demanded Lao Beifong furiously.

The young gentleman who was issuing the legal paperwork didn't blink an eye and remained unphased and continued on in a courteous straightforward manner.

"I'm well aware of your family name, Mr. Beifong. However, your capital nor the family name isn't what is of concern here. It's the well being of your daughter and nephew. You'll have to meet with one our caseworkers plus our psychologist and appear in court at the dates appointed.

Failure to comply will have dire consequences and you'll not have a chance to rectify your mistakes or for any four you to see the children again. So please don't miss your court dates or fail this process and don't think you can buy your way out of this. There is no negotiating. Any sort of bribery will just earn you all a long jail stint.

Therefore all four you will have to comply while the courts process this or else. Till then the children will remain with undisclosed guardians til we can ultimately determined if you are truly fit to look after them and have their best interests at heart.

We will send you further details later. Good day," the young man in the navy blue suit with the dark blackish brown hair bowed once and left.

The Beifongs were enraged by all this and didn't understand at all what was happening to them.

But for Toph and Brock? It meant for a while they had some freedom and legal means to keep it. And everyone got to celebrate Toph's 14th birthday the way she wanted. Without her wishing the same wish she had wished her whole life. For right now at the moment she had freedom and for now, she was gonna enjoy it.


	9. Listening to the Spirit Within

Listening to the spirit within

It was presently April and things were rather vivacious moreover cheerful in the world. Republic City city was blooming as were all the souls that were like miniature wildflowers themselves. They're flowering and stretching towards the heavens up above and maturing into the most picturesque of bouquets.

They'd, in fact, become so interesting furthermore blossomed into so numerous unprecedented blossoms throughout the year for the reason they as individuals had flourished and prospered as they'd developed in their bending, warrior and school plus so much more. There was not a single soul within Republic City that had bloomed into a gorgeous unique flower of its own design in some manner.

As the anniversary of the renewal of the world was swiftly approaching everyone was sensing the rebirth within the very essence of their being which is why Zuko's mother and stepfather felt this was the ideal moment in time to open the theater they'd restored to the populace. It had withstood the tempest moreover been thoroughly refurbished and now they'd desired to Team Avatar and all the students from Avatar Wan High to perform a play called "Four Seasons"

It was really Iroh's suggestion based on an old folk song from the Lost Age he was fond off. Kimana forever adored her husband's fondness for both tea and music and remembered how in their youth he would serenade her with the Tsungi horn and sing to her.

Therefore when Iroh had sung the song to her one night she knew it was the perfect play to perform. Considering not only did the four seasons represent the four elements but the four nations.

Furthermore, given the world was approaching the anniversary of its revival it would be a perfect time to describe the origins of each nation, their cultures and how they were taught their bending.

Ursa and Noreen admitted it was the ideal play to perform for the grand opening of the theater. Which is what led everyone to the moment at hand.

"Okay, I'm exhilarated so many students from the school have agreed to help with planning for this play. Coming together as a community will considerably benefit with us preparing for being done on time," Ursa praise the massive gathering of teenagers.

"Well, I'm more than delighted to loan you my apprentices for the opening of the play. So you have four astonishingly skilled fashion designers doing the costumes and equally gifted chefs making all the food for the opening night," Xiaoying was introducing them to her eight employees of her cafe/boutique 2 girls from each nation.

"I presume it's also highly beneficial we've both all who assisted in painting the mural at the school helping with building and painting the sets and the school band also providing musical entertainment for the play as well," Akanke added her thoughts about how the school was helping with the grand opening of the theater.

"Not to mention the school is bestowing its extra props and supplies to help you out if you get shorted. Moreover, I'll be helping you make certain rehearsals and everything runs sleekly," Kishi assured Ursa as she was the drama teacher at the high school.

"All in all I think we are all appreciative for Avatar Wan High as a whole helping one way or another for helping with this play. So we thank you all," Ursa bowed to all who'd shown up.

"It's not really a problem," everyone assured her and husband as the first day started to get underway to get the play started.

While they'd things for the play itself covered they'd even been thinking far enough ahead to have several teachers rotate in an out to help the students take a 45-minute break and help them study and do their homework. Also, anyone who'd to bring young kids to the theater Kimana, Nurita and Kameko were kept occupied babysitting them while everyone else was occupied working on the play.

"So, how do you think the play gonna go? Do you think we will have some bad luck?" Nurita queried as she was busy at the moment seeking to fix lunches for the young children of the volunteers who had shown up in droves to help with the play.

"Don't even start spreading those old superstitions around here! We don't need to encourage bad luck, Rita!" Kameko admonished using Nurita's nickname.

"Well it's the theater, Kameko, you can't help but be a little superstitious. It's only natural. Even in the Fire Nation's greatest plays, there was always rumors of bad luck happening before performances."

"Oh please sounds like an Arctic tale to me!"

"Don't diss it please!"

"Fine, now tell me are we feeding these children at least healthy snacks?" as she was using a miniature juicer to mix some winter fruit together and the two Fire Nation woman glance her way suspicious of the strange concoction she was brewing.

"What is that exactly, Kameko?" Nurita asked in bewilderment as she gazed at the inexplicably greenish tinged thick juice.

"It's a Water Tribe smoothie if you really must know. Arctic kelp, sea prunes, ice melon, and mealy berries. Trust me it may not be the best thing you taste the first time but you'll learn to like it after trying it at least three times," she revealed what she was formulating.

"Well, we shall take your word for it. Fire Nation food all about seasoning and flavor. Then again our home was centered around the equator and yours was the poles so you know different cultures and different environment. So different food sources." Kimana pointed out the simple truth.

"Is that not why are children are currently doing this place? To explain the origin of the world and to explain all the cultures as to the seasons and much more?" replied the Water Tribe woman as she flicked her long thick braids behind her shoulder.

"True enough, so very true. Oh, got to go calm down Xiang. She's nearly a year old now you know that right?"

"She's grown to be a bubbly and playful baby. She's as gorgeous as her mother whom she looks just like."

"Yes, she does look like her mother but rest assure her parents will make sure she's got the best of the both of them when she grows up. Although I think she needs to be changed, given her afternoon bottle then put down for a nap. If you excuse me, ladies," Kim went off to tend to the young Fire Nation baby.

"It's amazing how vastly different we all our but even as the seasons come and go and the elements are different one thing remains the same throughout the year. Love never fades away." Nurita commented wistfully as she got the spices cake ready for the kids.

"That's true, you know I realize this is the first time we've really been alone. How is Ember?"

"You mean since she came out?"

"Yeah."

"Much happier and not so weighed down. I admit the years haven't been easy on us when we fundamentally homeless. I think having to hide her sexuality made it even worse. But she's blossoming into a beautiful and confident young woman."

"I'm also thankful that Nita can finally be honest herself and has more friends. I'm also thrilled that she has in her own way a brother and sister. I know she always felt alone after the ectopic that nearly killed me."

"I'm sure not having any siblings to confide in or friends didn't help but between becoming closer to Sokka and Katara and the rest of Team Avatar has helped her tremendously, I see."

"It helped everyone tremendous. Which is why this play should be counted as important as last year peace rally. For these four young new kids, they've gained their own self-confidence and self-worth and made deeper connections with their families and own friends."

"Yeah, and it should show when the play is performed. How there should be peace in this world."

Right now on stage Team Avatar and their families were being assigned their roles and how best to represent their cultures and seasons.

"So as this is "Four Seasons" do them in order of the seasons. We'll make sure to have both benders and non-benders to explain both the origins of the culture and how bending came to be," Kishi was going on and then she came to Aang and Arianna who looked at her perplexed.

"But according to all sources the Air Nomads never had a non-bender among them did they?"

"Not in the Lost Age, no. Not to any knowledge and we asked my old guardian Aurelia who was also a bit of an archivist for all the knowledge she could dig up for the play and there is no account during the epoch of the lost age of a non-bender among the Air Nomads," Arianna assured her.

"And the Air Nomads were peace-lover so you don't have any warriors to show off in your segment of the play either, do you?"

"No, but we've plenty of fun and games and other traditions we'd be more than happy to share how we shaped the Air Nomad culture. The _true Air Nomad culture,"_ Aang illuminated what he meant.

"Well, do your best to represent your teachings and tell your own origin story well during your part in the third act. But Aang you cannot _I repeat cannot lose any control of your Avatar powers!" Kishi stressed to him._

"Don't worry about it, please! Look I've master, Air, Water and pretty much Earth. By the end of summer I'll have completed with Fire and then it's just figuring out the Avatar State and then I and the rest of the Team should've by the next school year fully mastered all our bending and warrior training.

Then we can positively be prepared to do the job of defending this city and the world and keeping the balance!" he stressed to the drama teacher.

"Perhaps but don't let that duty get the way of you leading a normal life and having fun. You do have the right to have a rich full life of friends, family and having fun. Avatar or no Avatar.

No amount of duty and responsibility should ever get in the way of the heart's right to have some of its own needs met. Duty can't come before heart at all times and you need to know when it's okay to be selfish and put your needs before that of others.

Just saying." the exotic Fire Nation woman cryptically told the 14-year-old boy and his 15-year-old sister before she went to talk to the three Water Tribe teens about the four-act of what they needed to do.

"What was that about, Aang? Why would she say you need to sometimes be self-indulgent? You're the Avatar! You can't ever be self-centered! You don't belong to yourself you belong to the world! I mean isn't that what the monks and nuns taught all of us?" Arianna questioned what Kishi's cryptic words had been about.

"I don't get what she means either or is she is right or wrong with what she says, Ari. I mean if the Avatar is supposed to belong to the world and sole duty is to the world and he belongs to no one nation shouldn't he always be about duty?

Why would he ever have the right to put what he desired before everyone else? Why would his own heart be more important than the greater good? Why would the person who suppose to be the most selfless soul every have the right to be selfish?" he didn't understand.

"I don't get it either. Shouldn't you always put the needs of others before your own? Isn't that what love is?"

"Let's not hurt our heads anymore about this ludicrous absurdity and get to working with Deryn about getting our costumes ready for the play."

On the other side of the stage, Toph and Brock being measured by June for their clothes for the play. Toph's sharp ears of course overhead the entire conversation Aang had just had even though he was clear across the room.

"You are super short you know that, girl? Ugh, this will be a nightmare! I need to go figure out something for your small form. And you young man aren't much better. I need to go back to the drawing board to come up with appropriate Lost Age clothes that are worth of Earthbending masters.

Don't move a muscle! I'm gonna be about ten minutes getting fabric swatches to see what works with your coloring and then we can get cooking. So don't move!" snapped June as she stomps off to get her toolkit.

"Twinkle toes and Fancy Feet are confused with Ms. Drama Queen's advice," she related to her cousin.

"Oh, what did she tell them?" Brock asked his cousin as he glanced at his girlfriend's elegant form.

"She told Aang that he sometimes needs to think of himself first and not let the world walk all over him and let being the Avatar dictate everything in his life. And he and Arianna can't understand what that means."

"What? It's so simple there a time and place to be selfish? To put your own needs before those of someone else? That you need to take time for yourself and your own needs?

That you can't take the burden of the world's problems all the time and they have to solve some of their own every now and then? That every once in a while everyone got to put their own needs and desire first? Not do what's expected of them but do what they want for once and not what others want?

What's so hard about that to understand? That its okay to be selfish once and a while and that you _need to be selfish sometimes because if you don't think of yourself once and while you never get your own needs and heart's desire meet if you put everyone before you._

 _You are just as important as the rest of the world and you shouldn't forsake yourself you matter too."_

"True, everyone has the right to take care of themselves and have time focused on them and just think of themselves if only for a few hours or a day or two. The trick is knowing when to do it."

"It's like what Gem, Rosy Orem, and Dornick told us all the time. If you continually put everyone before yourself then you have no sense of self-worth and you yourself are never given any value and you get lost yourself."

While the Earthbending cousins had made a legitimate point and understood what Kishi was trying to tell Aang and his sister there were other things going on that was slowing development on the play.

There was a small discussion going on between Zuko, Akiko, and Azula at the moment and their mother wasn't like them behaving like this at all.

"May I ask why you three are behaving like children? You all know this is setting a very bad example for Kiyi who I might remind you is just over yonder being babysit by your Aunt Kim?" she reprimanded her children swiftly.

"Sorry, Mom," they all bowed their repetitively.

"So what started this argument and what is it even about?" she asked them as she stared them down.

"Well, Zuko and I both know sword fighting after studying with our godfather and wanted in the play to show how you can combine bending with weapons.

But Azula insisted will take up too much time in the play and she won't get to show off her lightning and we are saying that lightning is too dangerous anyway." Akiko explained to the only mother she knew who eyed them with an uncertain look.

"Azula, darling are you really wanting to shoot _lightning into the crowd?"_

"No, just at a target," she replied lamely and lamented, "Mom, I'm the only one who can do it! And it _is part of firebending and Fire Nation culture and don't we want to demonstrate all bending techniques?!"_

"Well, maybe we can do a short intermission show were specialized techniques are shown for the crowd under controlled circumstances so each part of the play runs the allotted time.

But please tell me you're not practice lightning anywhere near your little sister!"

"No, Mom, I'm not endangering Kiyi! I'd never endangered my little sister! I'm not a demon anymore you know that!" Azula affirmed persistently.

"Okay, well, we shall work out how to plan this mini show within the play itself but again please let me know what you are capable of doing and I want to know where exactly you are practicing doing your lightning!"

Sighing, "The vacant field down the street from home," the former demonic girl confessed as she bowed her head down low.

"Please tell me you all take proper safety measure when you're practicing your bending."

"We do, Mom! We really do! Even when Akiko and I've been dueling with our swords and firebending at the same time we make sure all safety measures are in place. We do think of head!

Why are you bombarding us like this? You don't think we are that impulsive and reckless do you? We've grown up some and aren't taking those big risk anymore!"

"Besides even Ember takes precautions when she and Brock been doing that gembending thing. You know how he finds the ores and minerals in the soil he needs through the seismic sense Toph taught him?

Then he gathers them up and then they bend together to make them into gemstones of various variety, shape, quality, and color? It's really cool how they do it.

It's even cooler at times then glass art we make that Uncle Iroh taught us all to do by melting sand and molding it." Akiko confessed to what other uses firebending could be used for and when it could be used with earthbending.

It was a bit of relief for Ursa to at least know things were at least on the safe side for things for her children when they practice bending.

Elsewhere Katara and Nita were practicing waterbending and wondering as they're both of the Southern Tribe how they'd show the subtle difference between Northern and Southern style for the play.

"You know telling the story of how the moon and ocean to bend isn't the true problem, Katara," Nita emphasized again as they practiced their routine again.

"I know, I know, different tribes had slightly different styles. I thought I was only worried whether Sokka was going to be too much of a bonehead showing the warrior side of Southern Tribe."

"I'm sure if Yue was still alive she knows a hell of a lot to help us with our segment of the play to do with the origin of the Water Tribe and waterbending. Um you need to be a little more graceful and not as aggressive," she corrected her on the kata they're doing.

"Sorry, I'm just worried. We've got finals at school coming up along with finales at bending academy where we find out if we are just students still or masters. I hate to be the granddaughter of the Master and flunk."

"You work harder than any other student, Katara! Male or female no one works harder than you, well besides me! You could outshine your grandfather for sure!"

"I barely helped Aang pass so he could move on to Earthbending. What if I'm not ready in time for the final test? We have to pass both the school finals and bending finals or we flunk both!"

"My mom says to focus on one thing at a time, Katara! We've been working so hard this year on everything. We shall get through high school and bending and we shall both succeed."

"I hope so. I'd like to stop being a mere student and be a master."

"And I like to be able to move on to the next grade in high school myself. I'd also like to learn to ride on my mother's polar bear dogs. Don't need a car if I could ride one of them!" she grinned wickedly.

"You want to ride a polar bear dog? Nita that's never been done in all recorded history!"

"Well, a first time for everything!"

Well, the night of the play did come and there was more than enough splendid dishes cooked up by Xiaoying's young apprentices with all proceeds going to honest charity funds. The theater almost didn't have enough room as it seemed the whole city had come to see this.

But as soon as the lights turned out and the play has begun everyone was entranced as the story unfold for it was the story of the world itself and a tale old as time and now reborn such as the world everything was once again perfect as the world was blooming anew.

For a new chapter had begun as had a new season had to born from all the seasons blended together for now it was a season where all four came together a season of love, friendship, and family and in this seasons time was non-existed and all that matter was the heart and soul and forever love would be forever in bloom and only blossom more.


	10. What did you learn?

What did you learn?

It was the last month of the school year and everyone was cramming for two sets of final exams before they could, at last, be released for summer vacation. Everyone at Avatar Wan High had to pass all their final exams at the school in all their subjects. While everyone who was a bender or a warrior or enrolled in both at the Academies had to pass both in order to pass to the next level or the real rare honor consider a master.

Naturally the ones who were feeling the heat the most was Team Avatar and their family and of course, most of all Aang as he was again blessed or cursed whichever way you wanted to look at it with being the Avatar.

He'd been training with all his friends in how to master the elements but also trying to keep his G.P.A to make sure his parents were happy? That was something else entirely.

Needless to say in this peculiar brand-new environment being the Avatar in a world where the mythical like the world of the Lost Age blended with the modernized fast-paced technology surmounted world of the 21st century was an unusual situation for all of them to be in.

Consequently, over the course of this year with the two worlds becoming one, it was all rather peculiar, fascinating and just a long hard journey. Just as they'd been cultivating their flowers from Kimana to see how they'd bloom to be planted in the school garden it was witnessing what kind of garden the city would become in the end.

What kind of lessons had if any had the city had learned in the past year? Was anyone keener, cleverer or did this resurrection done nothing to actually bring back the teachings of the past that would benefit them in their eventuality?

Thus many questions and not sure of any of the resolutions and with the end of the school year nearing all of Team Avatar was querying if they'd learned anything at all other then a few showy movements.

Right now all the kids were at the Jasmine Dragon trying to get in a major cram session to study for finals. Kim and Xiaoying had whipped up a quantity of exceptional mystery tea and cookies for all of them and put on some comforting music to see if that helped and left them to their own devices.

Kimana and Xiaoying were keeping themselves occupied by planning Xiaoying's daughter Xiang's first birthday via video chat with the other mothers as they'd all other obligations at the moment and couldn't be there in person.

Ursa was unavailable as she was at the theater because Noreen had to take Kiyi in for a dental cleaning, Kameko was stuck at her new backyard clinic which was still operating even long after the hurricane.

She'd gotten now both a vet and breeder license which was bringing extra money into the household. As part of her vet clinic was she offered free spaying and neutering once a week. Which was the reason she couldn't be there in person?

Akanke couldn't be there as she was involved at the school along with Iroh prepping the school with the other teachers for upcoming finals which is why Piandao wasn't there as well. Because as soon as he was done at the school he and other Old Masters had to go to the Academies and prepare for their finals there as well.

As for the Beifongs? They'd been extremely opposed to the court proceeding with Family and Child Services and so them getting Toph and Brock back was getting more dubious as they just didn't understand while they'd not been abusive they hadn't been good parents or good people either.

They still completely believed their wealth, prominence and status still authorized them to whatever they wanted and they had done nothing incongruous and they just weren't getting it. Which is why things were being drawn out so long.

Back in the main room of the tea shop everyone was now quite engrossed in their schoolwork and striving to help everyone in whatever area they're inadequate in. Furthermore, everyone was doing their best to do math together which is what they're tackling at the moment.

"So, who is studying trigonometry, who got algebra and finally who got calculus?" Mai questioned and watched a show of hands and started to count up. "Okay, so Aang, Toph, Katara, Arianna, and Brock you got trigonometry. Sokka, Suki, Nita and Ember, Ty Lee, Azula and myself all have algebra and that leaves Calculus for Akiko and Zuko."

"So I guess we do the mock examinations uh, Mai? And see how we do?" Ty Lee asked as she held up a binder with tests that Katara snuck from her grandpa's desk.

"Hey, Ty Lee remember those aren't the final test! Those are just dummy test he was making up to decide the finals! But yeah we might as well test our luck with those. He never makes anything easy! Whether it's math or waterbending," she sighed and went on. "He demands perfection in everything in life and neither Sokka or I are exempted from his need for perfection.

I've had to work twice as hard in waterbending because I'm both a girl _and his step-granddaughter. It's not an easy burden to bare let me tell you!"_ Katara divulged as to the huge weight she'd been carrying all year for why she worked so hard at her bending practice.

"Is that why you work twice as hard with our godfather, Sokka? You feel you have to?" Akiko looked up in astonishment to the Water Tribe teenager who was silent for a moment before nodding.

"You all are so astonishing as benders, but I'm so mediocre. However, we come from a long line of Chiefs in the Lost Age and I should be able to sustain that and be as good as any bender.

Furthermore, I need to prove my worth on this Team if I'm to contribute. Not just as the idea guy but as an equal. I need to show I can handle myself and be worthy of my heritage and being part of Team Avatar. Why do you think I've worked my butt off to dazzle your godfather and to make my own dad proud?"

"Does the same hold true for all of us? Are we all seeking to make our families proud or just the expectations of the world expecting us since we've coined ourselves Team Avatar?" Akiko looked at each member sitting in that tea shop as one by one they closed their school books and became deep in thought for a few moments before answering.

Surprisingly it was Azula who first spoke up, "For so long I was demanded to be perfect. In every aspect, I was demanded to be perfect to be loved and accepted. Furthermore, though it is wrong and infeasible it nevertheless appears how civilization as a whole deems most people to be most of the time."

"How so, Azula?" Akiko questioned the previous demon to describe her logic and Azula took a deep breath and explained nonchalantly and unabatingly.

"How many times in this world were you told simply to "Do your best and that would be good enough?" only then it was like the rest of the world whether it was thousands of inconspicuous people on the internet or your fellow peers and teachers demanded it to be perfect?

Like you can't even make a single grammar blunder if you are writing a Fanfic story because you got Grammar Nazis who are like an on a seek and destroy mission to make everyone feel inferior if they don't know 'perfect' grammar!

Like we don't even converse in perfect grammar, to begin with, and a slew of people doesn't know it and yet everyone again is required to be perfect when some of the excellent fanfics aren't flawlessly written.

Therefore instead of just enjoying the tale, you are only looking for flaws. Likewise with fanart. You only judge it to be perfect if it meets your standers of perfect instead of recognizing everyone got different level of abilities or tools.

Furthermore, those clubs on DA only admit what they think is 'good enough" at times not recognizing its unintentionally bullying because what they 'think is good enough' or deem as 'perfect' makes others feel inferior. Because they have given all they got and yet someone to say 'sorry it's not 'perfect' it enough it's just being a tormentor.

Because we are human, we are flawed and yes online and offline we need to remember just how human we are and we all should be viewed as flawed individuals and no one is perfect and doing your best should be good enough and that absolutely should be damn good enough for the world.

Not this futility of perfect. Because when I was driven to the point of near psychosis of perfection? Well it makes you a tormentor and you're just absolutely being literally impracticable yourself and disregard what is human and being a considerate person is about." she finished explaining her rationalizing.

"I believe that should extend to us as humans as a whole in all aspect of our lives from being kids to parents, Azula. We all make misjudgments from childhood onward. Both kids and parents make mistakes. We shouldn't forever hold it against them or punish someone for making some mistake that anyone who is human for making," Ty Lee agreed fully with her friend.

"Yeah no one is flawless and that should be recognized. I mean let's all fessed up. Everyone is capable of making irrational judgments that can have a small or big consequence. Even sometimes being on the wrong side of the law or hurting our families in ways we did not intend.

I think one and all of us are blameworthy of that crime at some point in time. No one is exempt from that one as we all fall prey to temptation and can make choices for acts of great good or ill choices at one point or another," Mai again point out a simple truth that so multiple souls had overlooked throughout time.

"And I guess in all honesty aren't all families more than a little dysfunctional? None of them are absolutely happy like fairy tales or TV shows? They argue, have secrets, sibling rivalry, bad parenting at times. I think its safe to say no family is perfect. Neither the kids or the parents. Everyone is fucked up one way or another!" Akiko confirmed a truth to which everyone had to agree with as well.

"That is pretty true, Akiko. Our family is seriously messed up on many levels, but then again is it really more messed up then the family next door?" Zuko asked plainly to the gathering to which everyone had to admit the answer was on it really wasn't any more messed up than any other family in all actuality.

"Well, you're the one with a family member on death row. You've had a lot of abuse but you've come together through much personal struggle, strife, and heartache and all through it you've come to heal your heartache," Katara did point out as she thought about the Fire Nation family they'd all learned to love and care about so much.

"What about your family? Your family isn't exactly perfect either, Katara," Ember point out as she began to point out the facts about the Water Tribe family. "Your grandma at first refused to wed your step-grandfather due to his ill-natured and chivalry mentality.

It's only when you came along and sort of slapped him in the face he changed his tune that your grandmother married him and took him as her second husband. He really doesn't seem to like your brother.

You lost your mother in the most unjustifiable way and it took you years to come to terms with that and you to stop despising every one of Fire Nation blood.

Then Sokka loses his long-term girlfriend who asks another girl to take her place.

Finally, my girlfriend is your and your brother's foster little sister and her father is your dad's best friend.

That's your complicated family structure. Is it really that much more messed up then my own?" she asked the waterbender who shook her head.

"No, not really, Ember when you put it that way. It sounds pretty normal how two families become one family and lean on each for support and how love comes together in troubling times."

"Well, we can tell you how blatant our parents' mistakes were! They could fill a whole library section with how stupid and clueless our parents are and what they did wrong with us!" Toph said in a defense tone and ranted for half an hour on what her parents did not do for her or Brock's did for him.

"But did you guys make any mistakes of your own? You can't pin all the blame on your parents. It takes two people to resolve a problem and two people to make a relationship work and you know that's true. You can't deny it." Arianna countered as she looked at her boyfriend and his cousin.

Brock dropped his head sadly before looking up at Arianna's lovely brown eyes and said, "We did try for years to communicate with our parents what we really needed. We tried to be ourselves and get them to listen. It's not like we didn't try, Ari.

Perhaps sometimes we didn't choose the wisest path and our acts of rebellion didn't do anything but further the gap between us and our parents. But again as you pointed out just know it takes two.

But if one party is unwilling to listen to the other and not open to change then you reach an impasse. You've got to be willing to listen and change for change to happen."

"Yeah we hoped some legal bigwigs would get them to change their tune but they are more stubborn then a diamond is hard! They just won't let go of their pride and admit they did wrong."

"Are you two either willing to admit you have made some mistakes? I mean yes they've made their own errors in how they treated you and our families and the rest of the world. But it doesn't mean your not guilty of calling the kettle black some," Aang now added to his sister pointing out the logical deduction.

"Are you saying we got some apologizing to do, Twinkle Toes?"

"Forgiveness would help some and better communication on both your parts would help your family drama Toph. You can't get everywhere thinking like an Earthbender. Sometimes you might need to be more like an Airbender," he told her and she gave him a disgusted look.

"What a wimp who runs from fights?"

"No, a fight avoid can be a fight one. But if you came at the problem from a different angle. Or took a more passive approach in a calmer manner and were more open-minded and not so hardheaded you might make some progress is all I'm saying," he supplied the answer to his Earthbending housemates.

"You know he's got a point, cuz. Maybe we are thinking too much like Earthbenders and need to try the opposite element if we want to get results. It couldn't hurt."

"I thought I was supposed to be teaching you to be tough! Not be weak."

"And there nothing wrong with being able to admit force doesn't work all the time. Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword, Toph. Or being passive works better than aggression."

"Thank you for seeing our points."

"Well, what about you and your family? Things can't be so perfect in your little family can they?" challenged Toph even if she'd been living with them for over a month.

Both airbending siblings sighed loudly and nodded. "No, things aren't perfect in learning how to be a family. Mom and Dad have had a hard time learning how to be parents or husband and wife. Neither which has been an easy transformation for them," Arianna admitted thinking back on the past year.

"It was one thing for them to be secretly married but once they're living under the same roof with two teenage kids and having to run a household and take care of two kids? It was a whole another story.

It was little things they'd learn to deal with at first after the renovations were done. You know little things you usually get to know about your partner's habits that you grow accustom after you lived with them.

But as they had never lived together it wasn't something they had to live with before."

"Like what were the things that drove your parents around the bend at first?" everyone wanted to know.

"Well, it was little things like Mom's got a touch of OCD. She has to have everything organized and put away. It's got to color-coded, alphabetical and organized in some fashion. Even for an artist it's got to be organized chaos or she comes unglued some," Aang admitted about one the first things they learned about their mother.

"She also doesn't like procrastination, everything must be one time for her. Better way early then way late. Mind your manners and rules are enforced."

"What are your dad's habits?"

"He's a nail-biter. He does it when he gets nervous. Also, he's a practical joker who sometimes doesn't know when the joke not funny. He also tends to play music a little too loud." Arianna explained her father's habits.

"Do they argue and clash about these things?" everyone wanted to know and Aang and Arianna simply smiled.

"Yeah, of course, they've had tiffs and arguments. But they always resolved them. They do have slightly different parenting styles. Dad more forceful with discipline and Mom can be a little lenient.

Mom is more free-spirit and encourages us to spend time using our imagination for creative pursuit and Dad reminds us that school work needs to be done before pleasure. But both are the same when it comes to romance.

Romance doesn't come before schoolwork and we still need to practice long and hard on other passion if we wish to get better at them. And the punishment we do get for breaking the rules will be highly creative." Arianna explained as she thought of some of the more creative punishments they had had.

"Yeah, having to repaint the whole living room for missing curfew wasn't fun," Aang confessed to what their mom had them do once.

"Or the time we had to groom Appa. That meant, bathing, brushing _and getting between his toes all with no bending to help. It took us all weekend to do that for when we broke Mom's collage with our airbending duel."_

Appa and Momo had by now return to their proper hybrid forms so you just imagine how two teenagers having to properly groom a sky bison on their own felt. Not pretty and not fun.

After they had finished talking everyone realized that really they had all forgot that truly they were all human and no one was perfect. No-one was perfect in every aspect and that being flawed was what being human was all about.

There was no such thing as perfect. Maybe a perfect day, a perfect moment but true perfection? Was simply doing your best and that really should be good enough for the whole world.

And that was the same for family and friends. It was also important to remember in relationships or problems that they don't get resolved by one person acting alone. It takes more than one person.

It takes good communication, being willing to truly listen. For being able to repeat what is being said doesn't mean you listen just means you can say back what one said. You have to listen to what one is saying and feel the emotions behind the words.

That we are all equal in pain and no one's feelings should be dismissed and even if you don't think your guilty of any crime that doesn't mean you shouldn't apologize if you have done something that hurt another person feelings whether you think don't have to or not.

Respect is earned not given and no one is exempt from being the target of someone anger, not even a charity. Someone can get mad at you for any reason doesn't matter who or what you are anyone can get angry at you and you have to learn to accept that anger.

But again while everyone was realizing these facts of life they still had to focus on their schoolwork which was also a fact of life. Though textbooks smarts only get you so far in life.

You could read all the books you wanted in life, graduated from any school with as many masters and bachelors as you want. But just because you got the degrees don't mean you'll be any good at the subject.

For example just because you study to become a doctor doesn't mean you'll be a good one anymore then someone who studies fashion design will be a good designer. What really makes you an expert and any good is if you have the gift inside you and time itself.

So would any of these children be any good as benders or warriors or Team Avatar simply because of their gifts or some preordained so-called prophecy nonsense? Who knew?

Fate and destiny and how they could be challenged by free will and determination where always a great fight to see battle itself out. Because in the end just because _someone says one thing is your fate doesn't mean you can't write your own destiny._

After all, as you go for life what you learn most about is yourself as all these kids had been learning you are the sum of what you are. You are part your family, part friends, part of the choices you make, your own feelings, and the rest is everything in between.

And we will spend the rest of time figuring out that eternal question of who we are and what the mysteries of the universe what our fate and destiny is and why we are here. But if we spend our lives worrying about that when we forget to do the simplest thing we should be doing.

Which is just living in the moment. Just stop worrying about what doesn't matter and live.

And for all those kids in a moment of clarity, they realized everything else in the world didn't matter. Whether or not they passed the upcoming exams at school or at the academies.

What happened yesterday or tomorrow didn't matter. All that matter was living in the moment and enjoying every second they were alive and being with the ones they loved.

That's all that matter. Having fun, kissing and hugging the ones who matter most in your life, saving those they love, not living with regrets, and being here now. That was the purpose of life and that all you'll ever need to know.

So if anything else ever matters it would take a back seat to what did matter just being here now.


	11. Let there be peace

Let there be peace

A warm soothing summer zephyr was weaving its way throughout the enthralled paradise of Sundrop Valley. A land that held incalculable mysteries furthermore wonderments within the boundless majestic lands as Team Avatar was discovering as that's where they're spending their summer vacation.

All of them had aced their final exams both at Avatar Wan High along with those at the Bending and Warrior Academies. As soon as the summer had started all four clans had packed up and headed immediately to Valley for 3 months of wonderment, mysteries, and astonishment.

Primed to make extraordinary recollections have epic summertime romances, heart-stopping escapades along with more moments of self-discovery and ultimately continuing to gain additional enlightenment within themselves and the universe around them.

Both for the children as well as the adults all were yearning for all the above as they return to Sundrop Valley. These were all their aspirations moreover dreams along with the goal by summer's end they'll have become closer as one big family in and of itself.

That perpetually appear to occurred when within the boundaries in this legendary Valley according to both Kimana and Nurita. They alluded to the fact that the Valley had multiple concealed secret paths as well as properties to this hallowed land. Just what kind of intrigues and magic well that what you had to discover for yourself in your own time and only if established yourself deserving of them.

Furthermore, for this reason alone only those who demonstration proper respects and could be seen as both Friends and Guardians would be permitted to discover all of them.

As it was right now everyone was still given the same commands as before about the what, where and how they could do. However, they weren't making any complaints about any of it only showing proper respect.

Right now everyone was outdoors in the extensive backyard just behind the house. Where the main buildings boarded the woods and were just discussing everything they'd uncovered about themselves over the past year. It was becoming considerably a heartfelt and enlighting conversation for the gathering of adolescents.

"You know I never imagined I could exorcize that demon inside me before. Although now that a year's past I understand I had the choice all along to change and free myself from that demon.

It's been a long hard journey for me to become who I was meant to be. To convert from demon to human but as it was said before. The path to redemption isn't easy. But no one said rehabilitating yourself and getting the whole world to absolve you would be easy. However, they did say it was worth in the end." Azula revealed what had been her individual conflict throughout the past year.

"Maybe that's why Lu Ten's last gift to you was a violin with a flawed mark in the wood. So you'd always remember that lesson and still remember as he wrote it's not the wood that matters in the end but the music we make in the hands of the master," Zuko hinted to his sister thoughtfully.

"I think you are correct, Zu-Zu, I think you're right. I've spent all this time attempting to compose my own song on the violin. A song that signifies who I am and this journey I've been on. I think I've done it. Would any of you like to hear it?" she inquired delicately the group and they all nodded.

Thus they sat on the lush grass as Azula who never went anywhere anymore without the violin that Lu Ten's left her took it out and began to play a beautiful ballad. You could hear so much emotion poured into the music.

All of Azula's soul was in that song. A soul that been missing now recaptured and the sentiments of a hairy black heart now made pure and gold as the soul was pieced back together and whole and all the emotions of the journey to make it all happened.

Sorrowfulness, rage, agony, anxiety, exhilaration, rapture, uncertainty, distrust, enthusiasm, friendship, and finally acceptance poured into that composition as did the azure blue phoenix she involuntarily conjured as she played as it rose from the ashes and sang the song she was performing and burst into jubilation as she concluded.

She got a rousing applauded from everyone and then Ty Lee stood up and revealed her innermost thoughts on what she'd learned about herself. "You know before I despised that had so many sisters who looked like me and had similar names.

That I had to forge my own identity and tried so hard to be so different that it was almost like I was running away from who I was or my family. But I've come to realize something.

No matter what skills I may possess or how insane my sisters drive me or look like me, there are two things that cannot ever be changed. We are a family and just because they look like me doesn't me they _are me._

We are all here not to serve our Earthly parents, the Spirits, our Spirit Guides or the Avatar. All they can do is render us with attention and give us direction to discover the origin of the path in our journey in life. However, they cannot truly act on our own personal behalf.

While they all do believe in us the only one who truly acts is the one who did create us. And he's the one who gives each of us brains, a heart, talent, imagination, passion, and emotion.

He gives each person exactly what they need to fulfill their own unique purpose in this world. And we don't have to ask what is for the answer is as simple as looking in the mirror.

We are created to be ourselves. Like I was created to be Ty Lee. No-one else in the world can be Ty Lee. Not any of you or any of my sisters. No-one else can be me _but me._

Too many people waste their lives trying to be someone else idea of who they should be when all you have to be is yourself because no one this world or the Spirit World or Heaven can be anyone but you.

Consequently, that's what I've learned and become enlightens with over this year of peace. That the only one who can be Ty Lee is me, Ty Lee, herself. The trick for all of us staying alive long enough to achieve it."

"Well, if you two have gone I guess I pretty finish our little trio thoughts with my own," Mai said as she stood up nonchalantly and opened her book and began to read the thoughts she had been hiding all year.

"Please note these are not a composition but the thoughts I've been thinking and realizing for myself all year about why I write, who I am and why I was given the gift of words and language and use them to express myself as my emotions cannot be brought forth," she began in her typical deadpan way.

She flipped a page and began to quote from her writing journal. " Words are life. When you speak you give birth to thoughts. Once they're spoken into the universe they have power.

In the beginning, there was nothing but words and the first to bespoke was "Let there be Light" and thus the first of many creations came forth from the mere power of words.

Whether it was the Lost Age, Spirits or God never did anything without speaking a single word? No matter who we might argue brought this world into existing it was done through the power of words and they knew how to spell each of them as well.

The gift of words is a precious gift one that should be treasured. But it's not just a gift to be used in letters or characters. For when one has something to say you shouldn't hide behind walls or in some dark corner of your mind. You needn't be ashamed of your words

You can express the words into the world as others have done before words were made as writing. Like writing them in the sky or in your heart or sends them via many different messengers but in the end, words must be expressed in some way.

All words. Words of pain and joy. Light and dark. It must be brought out. For those who don't know what you have to say will never know what the world really has seen or been like if you don't say it in your own words.

Let the wall break and all the pain, hopelessness and other emotions be the hammer that breaks and let it all go. And your words and soul be free. And true honesty will prevail

That's what I've learned about myself and why I'll continue to write but try to write more than just negatively more of what I truly feel of the secret bottle up emotions that I've hidden behind my own wall. It's time I took a leaf from all your book and broken down my own wall and really let the truest words out and give myself true empowerment," as she closed her book.

"Wow, Mai, that was really profound and amazing. Never knew you had such in-depth and insight and wow," Ember was blinking in shock and Mai smiled and took out a knife and then laid her black journal on the ground. With a flick of the wrist, she stabbed the book.

"Let that be the death of hiding behind one lie and now with this new book," as she took out of her bag a new diary that was vermilion with blazing heart framed by a beautiful fire lily. "Let me carve out the path of who I truly am by writing the real words of my identity with this book."

Again more applauds from everyone congratulated Mai for coming to her own epiphany just as Azula and Ty Lee had come to theirs. They're no longer the "Mean Girls" of Avatar Wan High. They're transformed and enlightened and next school year they'd have a great future ahead of them.

"So anyone else reaches an epiphany in your family? Since it seems being here things become much clear and one minds become unclouded," Aang did point out a simple fact as he pets Momo laying in his lap.

"Well, Zuky and I reached one we should've learned a long time ago. But it took this whole year to learn," Akiko informed the young Avatar with a smile as she flicked her high ponytail over her shoulder.

"Oh, what did you two learn? I'm really interested in it. Honestly. I still feel bad for how I treated you both when we first met last year and I was being so offensive to you both before your Uncle helped us become friends," Katara wandered a bit as she apologized.

"Well, it was actually Uncle who helped us with us reaching our epiphany since it was dealing with the lingering damage from the years of abuse and abandonment from Ozai and Zhao.

Painful scars on our heart and souls and we just never fully recovered till just a few days ago when he really helped us finally let it go and heal." Zuko explained why he and Akiko finally felt lighter and finally free.

"Really? What did he say to you to finally deal with the hellfire you two were put through?" Sokka wanted to know with great curiosity.

"Well, it happened before we came here. It was after we passed our firebending finals and he took us aside and to one his private rooms in the manor for some mystery tea and told us it was time for true healing.

He then told us it was time for us to start on the path of our true destiny and to do that we had to finally let go of the past and move forward." Akiko began as she looked to Zuko.

"Let's see how did it go? Give me a minute. Okay got it! Give me a few minutes and I'll repeat word for word what he said." taking a deep breath Zuko began to recite exactly what Uncle Iroh had told his second son and only daughter.

" It started off like this and it was very profound and sounded like he'd been meaning to say all this for years," Zuko started off with what Iroh had said as he remembers how he and Akiko been in Iroh's private study hearing this.

" _I know this is extremely hard for both of you. Since I've seen first-hand the deep hurt and devastation that both your fathers brought to both your lives. That you've done some reckless things after being abandoned and wounded by the men who should've loved you the most._

 _But know this truth that you don't have to follow in their footsteps of irresponsibility. You both can be like your mothers who sacrificed so much to help you both survive._

 _I know that neither of your fathers understands how crucial a role that being a father is. But I assure I do understand that and I've done my best for both of you and I hope when the day comes and you both become parents you will do better then what your fathers did for you._

 _I want you both to be courageous right now and be able to walk away from the abandonment, neglect, and abuse._

 _So when the time comes and you're parents you don't make the same mistakes like the ones who wounded you. That you're involved in your children lives. That you both do more than provide for them. That you walk beside them and show them what it means to be people of honor and love._

 _Mothers and fathers should love their children seeking to win their hearts, protect, discipline and teach them what is right and wrong. Parents should teach their children to walk with integrity, treat others with respect, be responsible so they can live for what truly matters in this life and the next._

 _Some people don't realize too late or never at all that everything else in the world doesn't matter as much as the souls of your children. It's those who live for themselves and don't leave a legacy of love behind that are the most dishonorable and fools._

 _But again what I want for both of you, what I've always wanted all these years of seeing you both suffer? Is what I want you both to be able to do right now is._

 _To be able to regardless of the suffering your fathers put your through that you will find the strength in yourselves right now to let it go and walk away. Then mentor others who have no-one in their lives but desperately need help and direction._

 _That when you two finally do become husband and wife and have children that for your family and all future generations these mistakes and evils can finally be broken by both of you. I want to see you both guide all of us out of the darkness, I want to see you both break the chains of destruction._

 _I want you both right now to look inside your hearts and find the courage within you to finally let it all go. Let it out, let it go and walk away and start anew. Can you finally do that?" he asked in almost a breaking voice as he looked at his children."_

"Wow! That's very deep!" was all anyone could say to receive that kind of a speech.

"Well, it did help us finally get past our rotten childhood and let it all go and move on," Zuko informed them feeling a lot better after hearing it from his uncle.

"Well, I'm not be left out of this time of enlightenment either," Ember spoke up from her spot on the lawn. "I've learned true friends accept you for yourself no matter what. That my family loves me for me and we stand together no matter what.

I've learned also to not take anything for granted. Count my blessings and to always be grateful. And I'm appreciative for all the good things in my life and know it could all be gone in a moment. Thus I appreciate all the people in my life more since you don't know when they could leave this world or walk out on you."

"Well, thank you for all that you've shared with what you learned in this last year of rebirth and peace as you've been reborn," Aang bowed respectfully to his Fire Nation friends.

"What about you and Arianna? What have you learned during this time of rebirth and peace?" Zuko wanted to know from one of the best friends he had ever had.

"Well, I learned to be a family isn't easy. Just like love is a choice you make every day being a family is a choice you have to make every day as well. More to the point you don't choose who blood you share, Zuko.

Though you can choose your family for a family isn't about blood it is about love. So just because you're related to someone doesn't make them family. Just means your related to them."

"My little brother does have a point. Though being a family has its ups and downs and it's a constant struggle. But you have to make it work. Like how marriage is about picking your battles, good communication and compromising and seeing the other person POV at times it's not any different between brother and sister.

Though you to show consideration, respect, and compassion and understand it's not all about you. You have to think of others and everyone feelings. Also, every choice you makes does have some type of impact on your family.

So really think before you act and how it will affect your family. That's what we've learned this past year." Arianna pointed out the lessons they'd learned as the Air Nomads had come together as a family.

"Well, we've learned a lot about how two families can become one haven't we, Sokka?" Katara as she poked him with some water.

"Katara! What have I told you about your magic?"

"It's not magic! It's waterbending!"

"You know it's just friendly teasing!"

"Whatever!"

"I like how he teases you and still treats me like a sister as well, Katara. Again the fact you've accepted me as a sister and not just the daughter of your dad's best friend makes me so much happier." Nita pointed out before she snapped her fingers and like a whale blowing it blowhole, Sokka got all wet leaving everyone in stitches. Needless to say, he wasn't amused.

"Why in the world was I given two Waterbenders for sisters, Suki? Why didn't Yue warn me about this? I feel like she kind knew this in a weird way would happen!" as his girlfriend dried him off.

"Well, you are a good big brother to both your biological sister and adopted sister, Sokka and I'm proud of you for that. But why would Yue have warned you of anything?" Suki asked confused.

"Something about how she died and the fact she's in the Spirit World. You think if you're in the Spirit World you know everything," he muttered to her.

"I don't think spirits are all-knowing or omnipresent, Sokka. I don't think it works that way. Remember a Spirit Guide can only _guide you. They can't make choices for you. The only advice you. They can't act directly. You still have free will."_

"I'm just a meat and sarcasm guy with a boomerang and sword. I didn't ask even when the world was reborn to have flying, magic and two waterbending sisters! But I guess I wouldn't have had it any other way either. I can't imagine my life any different really."

"What is ever considered normal? "Normal" is so overrate and the average is so boring! And if one thing I hate is being bored a living the same day every day! I've enjoyed bring back the Kyoshi Warriors and let me tell you Sokka? Being with you I know date night is never boring."

"Even if his Sok-casm is not always the best!" Toph giggled and then punched him in the arm as that was her way of showing affection.

"Oh! What have you been doing, Toph? Other than exploring Earthbending techniques?!" Sokka asked her as he winced in pain.

"We've worked on boxing and kickboxing, Sokka. She felt I needed to learn how to defend myself. Toph may be blind but she does know boxing. We've been studying both to learn to be tougher fighters if we can't bend.

I still a more of an intellectual but it's a fun form of exercises, helps with exercise and teaches a form of self-defense in a way if we can't bend. So we've been sparing with each other in more or less as Toph calls it 'mortal combat."

"Why don't you just try to find the ancient game on one of those stupid gaming systems instead?" retorted Sokka, "Instead of punching the daylights out of each other."

"Um, Sokka, Toph wouldn't be able to see the TV screen to play? Not even with those special sunglasses? Duh!" Brock reminded him.

"Yeah, X-box games aren't my thing or any video game things aren't my thing really, Sokka."

"Well, I think we all want to know if you're trying to work things out with your parents," Suki cut in before Sokka could boil his top.

Both cousins shook their heads sadly. They actually both looked disappointed. "So far things are still tied up in the courts. We've tried having a few sessions with a mediator someone who was unbiased but that didn't go well.

There was no real progress and it's been a couple of months now. They still highly resisted and pigheaded and still think they didn't do anything wrong," Toph admitted to the group about the drama and tension going on in their family.

"We did as the court therapist suggested and wrote them letters expressing in our own exact words what we were feeling and what was wrong in the relationship and what needed to change.

But as far we know they didn't read them and flush them down the toilet thinking we just a bunch of delinquents and ungrateful kids who been badly influenced by you."

"Is this way our families been talking about a lawsuit from the Beifongs?" everyone sorta asked at once and they nodded.

"Our parents just aren't understanding and they can't just listen to us. So if there isn't any real progress by summer end they may lose permanent custody of us by summer end if they don't start letting go of their pride and start trying to work with the courts and the therapy." Brock informed them.

"Wow this is bigger then we thought. I thought they were just mad you ran away but not being able to admit your own faults and mistakes is the worse! Are they aware of you and me being romantically involved?"

"Yeah, because the therapist me and Toph told us we had to be honest in our letters and I told them the truth. But again they might not know since we don't know if they read the letters or not as they didn't reply back as they're supposed to."

"Either way let's stop talking about family drama and focusing on what's making us happy. Most of us have found our true love and those who haven't are at least looking for love on the internet which is cool.

But I just want to know if anyone gonna date a blind girl with my family bad rep at this point?" Toph looked honestly disappointed that unlike everyone else who had been on a date at some point or was looking for love she hadn't even had a boy at least interested in her.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if a boy didn't come your way when we get back to the city at summer end Toph. I suggest you enter the local boxing tournament and looking for a boy with the name that starts off sounding "Kan" a voice from behind them all spoke in a knowing way.

All of them looked up and saw that both Iroh and Kimana were behind them smiling.

"Uncle! Aunt Kim! Where did you guys come from?" asked Zuko in surprise to the couple who smiled.

"Oh, we were just having a picnic on the island in the middle of the lake. You know the one with the small koi pond at the heart of the island? Koi fish have extremely long lifespans you know that right, nephew?"

"Yes, we did study them in biology class. Some can live to be over two hundred."

"Well, I've loved how the moon is angled perfectly to shine on the little oasis on the island and really has such a magical effect on the little koi pond. Almost make the water seem enchanted in a way," Kimana replied in a sly way as she gazed at three Water Tribe children with a cryptic look.

"What makes the water enchanted?" Katara asked suddenly as she felt she had to see it for herself.

"Well, there is a full moon tonight. You should go there yourself. The koi fish dance so beautiful under the light of the full moon. Just wear your life vest when you take the boat.

Waterbenders or not safety first." Kim reminded them with a twinkle to her golden eyes and a secretive smile. She then turned to the other children with the same cryptic look as if she was almost giving them sort of invitation or test or something they didn't understand.

"Iroh? Don't you think it is a wonderful idea if you took our family and the Beifong cousins along with Suki on a mountain hike? I'm sure they'll find it quite thrilling and most enlightening."

"What about you, my lovely butterfly? Won't you be lonely?" he asked in mock concern.

"Oh, I'll make sure the Water Tribe Siblings are okay on the lake and also I have got a marvelous surprise deep in the forest that lets out by meadow near the waterfall cliff that I want to show Aang and Arianna."

"You sure their parents won't mind what we've planned for tonight for all the kids?" he asked again in a way that showed they had this planned way ahead of time.

"Not to worry I've already spoken with their parents and it's cool. And everything already packed. So we should start hoofing it if we want to make it to all our destinations before we are too late." as she turned and gave everyone a backpack that was colored code to match their nation. It had their name and symbol on it as well.

So the two groups left heading in different directions wondering what this was all about. Something very fishy was going on and they had no idea what but they're about to find out.

It was a long and difficult climb up the mountains and it was surprising everyone that Iroh could make it so easy for a man his age and body type. But it was a struggle for everyone else to keep pace with him.

He eventually came to what looked a pile of boulders that seemed meaningless but Toph and Brock's seismic sense told them it was the entrance to the hidden mine. Suki also notices the small overlooked details that the boulders were arranged in a way that formed the Earth Kingdom symbol.

"Your three journey continues on the other side of the rocks. The rest of our journey is where the sun touches the peak of the mountain. We'll be back to fetch you once you learned from the original masters," Iroh explained cryptically as he left the three of them and continued on with the Fire Nation kids.

"Okay, what heck did he mean by that? Why leave us here on this mountain path? What so special about these boulders and what's on the other side? And what original masters is he talking about?" Suki wanted to know.

"Well, what's on the other side of these boulders we can answer is a mine loaded with treasure. Brock and I can move them but I don't know what else we shall find on the other side," Toph shrugged as she and Brock began to move aside the rocks that concealed the entrance.

It was extremely dark and not sure what it meant Suki turned on her flashlight and they began to move and trusting Toph to guide them. It was soon obvious just how loaded the place was with treasure, though curiously it was also like this place was labyrinthine of tunnels.

They kept getting lost. If someone wants to trap those who weren't supposed to take this treasure and none of these tunnels looked man-made, to begin with. This was not a normal mine.

After an hour and a half, they reached the heart of the mine and Suki's flashlight went out and they plunge into total darkness and suddenly there was rumbling and they realized they're not alone.

They're started to scream as something was coming at them and then to their shock, the room became illuminated by strange crystals and what was standing before them was the very first Earthbender being ridden by what looked like a real person but had to be a spirit for it was Avatar Kyoshi.

"Welcome, students. The Guardians informed us they'd be sending Acolytes our way to see if they could pass the final test to become the next Guardians of this holy valley."

"We don't understand? What is going on here?" Suki asked bravely for everyone and the Avatar whom she most admire spoke.

"Sundrop Valley is located in-between the two worlds. Of Man and Spirit and the Past and Future. It's been the responsibility for centuries for the Friends and Guardians to protect the secrets of this sacred lands to make sure the ways of the ancient past don't die.

That means everything! Spirits, animals, relics, everything and anything you can think of that has to do what you call the Lost Age isn't full forgotten or destroyed. This land again is an in-between space.

You are facing your final trial in becoming the next Guardians and Sword Protectors. But to do so you must learn from the original masters and show you can pass the Sacred Trust and not reveal any of the Secrets of this Land.

So young Earthbenders you'll train with your original master the Badgermole and I shall train the Kyoshi Warrior. Come we have little time and you must pass this test. This is a very important test and great responsibility Kimana is seeking to bestow onto you.

Let us begin."

Well, you can guess what was going on with the others. Iroh had led his family to meet their original masters a family of Dragons! To learn the true nature of Firebending and learn from the last Firebending Avatar who they're shocked was family member realizing the Lost Age wasn't as Lost as they had thought.

Even non-benders were being taught by the Spirits of those who were masters in their arts if they were worthy.

On that island in the lake again learning from the Spirits of Moon and Ocean and getting a visit from Yue wasn't what they're expecting or the Last Waterbender Avatar but again they all had a test to pass.

Aang and Arianna had a slightly different test to pass. While yes at first they did meet more Sky Bison and the Spirit of the Last Air Nomad Avatar it was then Kimana called Aang to come to see what was concealed behind the waterfall.

He and his sister followed and found a hidden chamber where there was an endless series of statues of countless Avatars before in the Avatar Cycle.

"I've brought you here, Aang to listen to them. I also brought you here for the final test to show that you as the Avatar can protect part of what is the birthright of every Avatar of this Valley is to master the Avatar State.

We shall meditate on it. As we meditate I want you to think of all you've learned in the past two years. Both in times of conflict and times of war. What you've achieved before bending returned and what you achieved after it returned.

Look deep inside yourself and realize who Aang is and what the Avatar is. See who everyone is and See who you yourself are. Realize what your true destiny is and what all of you are meant to do.

Realize you are not alone and what your true power is and what lies ahead. Focus and realize all that is true what is lies and what really matters in the end." Kimana instructed him as they sat together meditating.

"I can feel the friendship and unity of nature. I feel the bonds of my family and the family that is my friends. I feel the spirit of humanity. I see beyond time and space and understand we must learn from the past to do better in the present to shape a better future," he replied.

"But what is the true power that we all possess that really inspires other to stand by you and the reason you are reborn as a human in each life?"

"Because the only way to protect the world is to live life and protect the world you must be part of it. As a human, I must know what it means to be human. I can't simply exist by simply surviving I must live.

I must experience the tapestry of emotions, I must be able to live and die. I must be able to relate to others. I must have my own wants and needs. I must be able to have the one emotion that makes you human that grants everything humanity. I must be able to love.

For if you cannot love then there any point to anything in life. You can't do anything in life without love inspiring the rest. There is no hope, faith, dreams or aspiration peace, family or friendship without the foundation started by the seed of love.

To be human is to be able to love. The Avatar must be able to love all people no matter what they've done. But I still can't judge others for what they've done. I must protect the innocent but never punish who I feel is guilty.

Life is sacred and death never solves everything.

The lines between good and evil are never as clear-cut as they may seem. Nothing is ever completely straightforward. There are always shades of gray and nothing and no-one is black and white either.

Do not become what you fight against. Love is what makes you human no matter if your human being or not. To forsake your heart and let the poison of hate in you are nothing but a beast. So even if you are full of anger, rage, and hate, don't let it consume your heart. So when given the choice still chose love and not poison.

Vengeance begets nothing but more vengeance. It never ends. It will only bring satisfaction for the moment, not true justice. It will not the right the wrongs committed. It will only turn you into what wronged you.

Death has never solved anything. Only life can bring forth change and everyone must be given the opportunity to find redemption and reform no matter how wicked they are. Change is possible if we believe that people can change.

Remember your own advice and what you've yourself learn and taught others. So practice what yourself have preached and learned and never forget it applies to yourselves as well.

Everyone is a victim because we've all suffered each of us has painful scars of our own. Look past what you see and into one own heart and soul. Everyone has a reason for why they do something and just listening to someone's pain and understanding them and not judging them by face value can be the best thing to do."

" _Very good._ Now that you've reached this point of enlightenment try and control the Avatar State," requested.

"What?!"

"Try," as they walked back outside.

Taking a deep breath Aang started off very slowly bending all the elements at the same time and the consciously made the choice to go into the Avatar State and looked at his sister.

She was nervous as she knew from the scrolls in the archive an avatar, not in control of the avatar state was unpredictable and dangerous. But to her relief and delight, he was able to control all the elements and himself and come out of it at his own command.

"Little brother you did it! I'm so proud of you!" as she ran over and hugged him tightly till he had to say he couldn't breathe.

"Well, it looks like both of you have done well with your training. Let's get back to the house. Tomorrow we have an important celebration to have to commemorate this day." Kimana was smiling.

It was clear everyone had indeed past the test learning from their original masters and the Valley had made it clear that everyone here was both Friends and Guardians for sure.

The next day everyone who had gathered here which was everyone but the Beifongs was present. They're greeted by the original masters, spirits of past Avatars and even the original master of them all a Lion Turtle who lived in the lake itself.

They all congratulated all the families in what they'd accomplished so far in their lives and what they still had yet to achieve and bestowed the honor to them as part of the Guardianhood of Sundrop Valley and that they wished them all lucky as one big family meant to protect the world.

With that, they could help but wonder what the next school year was gonna be like after this one was so amazing?!

The End.


End file.
